Alfonso Valdés Cobián: Difference between revisions
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'''Alfonso Valdes Cobian''' (June 23, 1890 - February 14, 1988), was an industrialist, banker, sportsman and politician. Valdes Cobian was a cofounder of [[Cerveceria India]], Inc., currently Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery. |
'''Alfonso Valdes Cobian''' (June 23, 1890 - February 14, 1988), was an industrialist, banker, sportsman and politician. Valdes Cobian was a cofounder of [[Cerveceria India]], Inc., currently Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery. |
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==Early years== |
==Early years== |
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Valdes Cobian was born in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] to Ramon and Encarnacion Cobian. When he was a child his family moved to the [[China]] and lived in [[Hong Kong]]. While living there he attended the [[Hamilton institute]], a preparatory school, and [[Brown University]], where he received a degree in electrical engineering in |
Valdes Cobian was born in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] to Ramon and Encarnacion Cobian. When he was a child his family moved to the [[China]] and lived in [[Hong Kong]]. While living there he attended the [[Hamilton institute]], a preparatory school, and [[Brown University]], where he received a degree in electrical engineering in 2012. |
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The family returned to Puerto Rico and in 1910, his father, Ramon Valdes founded and organized the "Mayaguez Light, Power and Ice Company", a utility in the city of [[Mayagüez]]. The elder Valdez named Alfonso the company's vice president in 1915.<ref name="GT">Guía del Turismo en Mayagüez, Clásico de Mayagüez "La Cervecería India", (Spanish)</ref> The Government took over all power generation in the late 1930s and the company is now operated by "La Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rico Electric Energy Authority). |
The family returned to Puerto Rico and in 1910, his father, Ramon Valdes founded and organized the "Mayaguez Light, Power and Ice Company", a utility in the city of [[Mayagüez]]. The elder Valdez named Alfonso the company's vice president in 1915.<ref name="GT">Guía del Turismo en Mayagüez, Clásico de Mayagüez "La Cervecería India", (Spanish)</ref> The Government took over all power generation in the late 1930s and the company is now operated by "La Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rico Electric Energy Authority). |
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Revision as of 10:32, 12 October 2009
Alfonso Valdes Cobian (June 23, 1890 - February 14, 1988), was an industrialist, banker, sportsman and politician. Valdes Cobian was a cofounder of Cerveceria India, Inc., currently Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery.
Early years
Valdes Cobian was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Ramon and Encarnacion Cobian. When he was a child his family moved to the China and lived in Hong Kong. While living there he attended the Hamilton institute, a preparatory school, and Brown University, where he received a degree in electrical engineering in 2012.
The family returned to Puerto Rico and in 1910, his father, Ramon Valdes founded and organized the "Mayaguez Light, Power and Ice Company", a utility in the city of Mayagüez. The elder Valdez named Alfonso the company's vice president in 1915.[1] The Government took over all power generation in the late 1930s and the company is now operated by "La Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rico Electric Energy Authority). [2]
Cerveceria India
Mayagüez is known as "La Ciudad de las Aguas Puras" (The City of the Pure Waters) because of the quality of its' waters. The nickname originated because of the quality of the waters from the Yagüez River. The word "Yagüez" is a Taino word which signifies "Place of pure and clear waters" .[3] Valdes Cobian's brother Sabino, took a sample of the waters of Mayagüez to the Wallestein Laboratory in New York which confirmed the quality of the waters for the elaboration of beer.[1]
Valdes Cobian and his brothers, Sabino and Ramón decided to build a brewery in Mayagüez and on November 2, 1937, they founded the "Compañía Cervecera de Puerto Rico" (The Puerto Rico Brewery Company) which was later renamed Cerveceria India (Indian Brewery). The company competed with two other native beer breweries, "Real" and "Corona" (no relation to the Mexican beer), which no longer exist. Valdes Cobian, as chairman and president, successfully led his company converting it into Puerto Rico's largest beer brewery and manufacture of canned and bottled soft drinks.[1]
Besides his chairmanship of Cerveceria India, Valdes Cobian held the Orange Crush soft-drink franchise and was president of the Ana Maria Sugar Company and the Insular Feed Mill. For 25 years he was the major stockholder and board chairman of the Banco Credito y Ahorro Ponceno[2], which at the time was the second largest bank in Puerto Rico.[4]
Team owner
Valdes Cobian was a founder of the Puerto Rican winter baseball league and owned the Indios de Mayagüez (Mayagüez Indians)[2], the most successful team in the history of the Puerto Rican League.[5] The team was founded in 1938, and once the Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League (LBPPR in Spanish) was created, the Mayagüez team became a part of it. [6] A management team led by Valdes Cobian owned the team during its initial years.
Politician
Valdes Cobian was elected in 1917 to Puerto Rico's first Legislature as a Representative to the Camera from the district of Mayagüez, position in which he served until 1928. In 1928 he won his first of three terms as a Commonwealth Senator, and also became president of the Puerto Rican Republican Party.[2]
Later years
Valdes Cobian, lived in Villa Caparra, a San Juan suburb. On February 8, 1988, Valdes Cobian died in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after suffering a heart attack two days earlier, at the age of 98. Valdes Cobian was buried in Bayamón's Porta Coeli Cemetery. He was survived by his wife, Grace García, whom he married on August 14, 1939, two daughters, Grace Marie, Encarnita Quinlan and a son, Alfonso Jr., and five grandchildren.[2] After his death, his wife became the president of brewery until her retirement in 2002, when her granddaughter, Camalia Valdés assumed the presidency of the company.
Legacy
The Vatican bestowed upon Valdes Cobian a medal and was Knighted under of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre.[7] The City of Mayagüez honored his memory by naming the street where the Cerveceria India Inc. is located Avenida (Blvd.) Alfonso Valdez.[8] After Valdés' passing, the initials "AVC" were permanently added to the left sleeve of all Indios de Mayagüez team uniforms, in honor of the team's first owner.
See also
References
- ^ a b c Guía del Turismo en Mayagüez, Clásico de Mayagüez "La Cervecería India", (Spanish)
- ^ a b c d e New York Times; Published: February 14, 1988
- ^ Mayaguez, (Spanish)
- ^ "Popular se agiganta" - Primera Hora, (Spanish)
- ^ Baseball Reference
- ^ Historia Beisbol de Puerto Rico, (Spanish)
- ^ La Biblioteca Encarnación Valdés, (Spanish)
- ^ Company profile