The Puerto Rican Literature Project

Virgilio Dávila was born on January 28, 1869, in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico and died on August 22, 1943 in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. He was a poet, politician, and mayor. He studied at the Colegio Jesuita de Santurce, Puerto Rico and the Instituto Civil de Segunda Enseñanza in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. After graduating, he completed his teacher certification, working in Gurabo, Puerto Rico and then in Bayamón, where he founded a school in 1890. In 1899, he founded the Puerto Rican Partido Republicano, which advocated for the annexation of Puerto Rico to the United States. In 1905, he became the mayor of Bayamón, as a member of this party, and served until 1911 when his party split due to a political rift. His works include Patria (1903), Viviendo y amando (1912), Aromas del terruño (1916), Pueblito de antes (1917), La génesis de un gran sol (1918), and Un libro para mis nietos (1928).

Works Cited
Fernández, Tomás y Elena Tamaro. “Biografía de Virgilio Dávila.” Biografías y Vidas: La enciclopedia biográfica en línea, 2004, www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/d/davila_cabrera.htm.