on the island, since the arrival of the United States, had established English as the language of public education to contribute to a process of Americanization of the Puerto Rican people. In 1948, however, Luis Muñoz Marín, the first popularly elected governor, named Mariano Villaronga Commissioner of Public Instruction. He was quickly confirmed by the Puerto Rican Senate. In August 1949, Muñoz issued an executive order that all teaching would be done in Spanish at all levels in the public education system and that English would be offered as a special subject. In 1952, when the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico was formed, Villaronga was designated secretary of Public Instruction, a position he held until 1957. Spanish educational television pioneer Under his direction, the groundwork was laid for the establishment of an educational public television network in Puerto Rico. The actual rollout occurred in 1958, two years after Villaronga had left office. The system, WIPR Television, was the first educational television station in Latin America. Education books by Villaronga Toro Villaronga, Mariano. La Educacion Liberal, 1953 Death Mariano Villaronga died in San Juan in March 1987. He is buried at Puerto Rico Memorial Cemetery in Carolina, Puerto Rico. See also List of Puerto Ricans List of Puerto Ricans Education in Puerto Rico Photo of Villaronga Toro sitting next to Gov. Muñoz Marín in Costa Rica Photo of Villaronga Toro (center) during the ceremony of delivery of a library-on-wheels Photo of Villaronga Toro (sitting, 1st from the right) posing for a picture of Gov. Muñoz Marín and his Cabinet References 1906 births 1987 deaths Educators from Ponce Harvard Graduate School of Education alumni Secretaries of Education of Puerto Rico University of Puerto Rico alumni