FAQs

When exactly is Albizu’s birthdate?

June 29, 1893, is the birthdate used in this website. In Marisa Rosado’s book, she informs that Pedro Albizu Campos had a brother by the same name, born on September 12, 1891. He died young. Pedro Albizu Campos was then born on June 29, 1893. When Albizu’s biological father legally recognized him, he wrote September 12, 1891, as his birthdate. Setting this legal document aside, it was generally understood by Pedro Albizu Campos, his family, and friends, that he was born on June 29, 1893. This was the date Albizu signed and used for all of his education and university records and is the date inscribed on his tombstone. Whenever Albizu spoke of his age, it corresponded with the June 29, 1893 date. However, he also used the September 12, 1891 date too. Marisa Rosado informs in her book that Albizu confided to Juan Antonio Corretjer that his real birthdate was June 29, 1893.

Was Albizu the President of the Cosmopolitan Club at Harvard Law School?

No. There was no Cosmopolitan Club at Harvard Law School. There was a Cosmopolitan Club at Harvard College and Pedro Albizu Campos was elected President of the Cosmopolitan Club during his undergraduate senior year at Harvard College (1915-1916).

Is it true that Albizu Campos spoke eight languages fluently?

Not true. Some writers have stated that Albizu fluently spoke 6, 7, or even 8 languages or so and that two of these languages were Italian and Greek. Let’s look at what Pedro Albizu Campos himself had to say about this. On Page 2 of his application for student work dated May 3, 1916, Pedro Albizu Campos, in his handwriting, informs that he can speak 4 languages (Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese). He also informs that he can read German and Latin. He took German as an elective at the University of Vermont and Harvard College. He took 3 years of Latin in high school as was required as part of the education curriculum during that time period.

Is it true that Albizu Campos had a child out of wedlock?

Yes. Albizu had an on-and-off relationship with Carmen "Lila" Aponte Roubert and from this relationship Hector Manuel Albizu Aponte was born in 1932. When Albizu died, his wife Laura Meneses would then visit Hector and acknowledge that she knew of him. Laura informed Hector that his mother Lila was good to her. Albizu had three children with Laura.

Is it true that Pedro Albizu Campos was a brilliant student at Harvard University with top grades?

Not true. Undoubtedly, Pedro Albizu Campos was a brilliant student and had top grades when he graduated from Ponce High School and the University of Vermont during 1912-1913. Upon transferring to Harvard College in 1913, Albizu’s financial woes as a student commenced, severely affecting his grades. Beginning in 1913 and continuing throughout all of his Harvard Law School years ending in 1923, Albizu struggled to maintain his standing as a student with top grades. In his own handwriting in two of his student employment documents located in the archival documents for Harvard College, he states that he obtained a few “C” grades as well as a “D” grade in his undergraduate courses. Publicly, given that Albizu graduated from “Harvard” and “Harvard Law School,” his grades were never questioned, and public access to his archival records was not possible until 2003. Although having top grades does not determine brilliance, Albizu’s brilliance was not deterred by his average and sometimes less-than-average undergraduate and law school grades.