Roberto Sanchez Vilella

GovernorsCurrent GovernorsFormer Governors' BiosCurrent Governors' SpousesOpinion ArticlesNGA Annual & Winter MeetingsInitiatives of NGA ChairsElectionsStaff Directories & Contact Information PrintPage Text Size   Puerto Rico Governor Roberto Sanchez-Vilella State Website Office Dates:  Jan 01, 1965 - Jan 01, 1969 Born:  Feb 19, 1913Passed:  Mar 25, 1997Birth State:  Puerto RicoParty:  PopularDemocratFamily:  Married, two childrenSchool(s):  Ohio State UniversityROBERTO SANCHEZ-VILELLA was born in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, on February 19, 1913.  He graduated from Ohio State University in 1934with a bachelor of arts in civil engineering.  Public offices include: Representative to Constitutional Electoral Redistribution Board; Member, Status Commission to study relations between Puerto Ricoand the United States; Assistant Commissioner of the Interior, 1941-42; Administrator of Transportation Authority, 1942-45; Mayor of San Juan, 1945-46; Special Assistant to the President of thePuerto Rico Senate, 1946-47; Executive Secretary of Puerto Rico, 1949-51; Secretary of Public Works, 1951-59; and Secretary of State for Puerto Rico, 1952-65. For a brief time he worked in the privatesector and was responsible for the construction of a large hotel, which was initiated under a governmental program to promote tourism. As governor, Sanchez-Vilella helped transform Puerto Rico from a pooragricultural society to one of industry and commerce. In 1967, in the face of an increasingly active movement for statehood, Sánchez arranged a plebiscite in which Puerto Ricans could choose amongindependence, statehood, and maintenance of the commonwealth relationship. An overwhelming majority voted for no change, but Puerto Rico's status continued to be a lively issue, with most citizensfavoring either statehood (an option the U.S. Congress showed little interest in pursuing) or commonwealth; only a small percentage desired independence. After leaving office, Vilella returned to private...