Esta ley solicita a la Comisión Denominadora de Estructuras y Vías Públicas de Puerto Rico que estudie la posibilidad de nombrar la Avenida Condado en San Juan como la Avenida Rafael Pérez-Perry, en reconocimiento a su contribución como pionero de la radiodifusión en la isla.
(Approved January 2, 2003)
To request the Structures and Public Highways Naming Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to study the possibility of naming the present Condado Avenue in the Municipality of San Juan, as the Rafael Pérez-Perry Avenue.
"Don" Rafael Pérez-Perry was born in the city of Guayama, in 1911, to a Spanish father and a mother of French descent. He graduated from high school in the "Big Apple", and devoted himself to the study of electronics, achieving an engineering degree in this field.
He returned to Puerto Rico in 1934, as a good electronic engineer. From that time on, he began and developed his career in electronics, achieving great recognition, but beset by highs and lows. He initiated businesses that were successful, but probably failed, due to his youth, and lack of capital and experience to face the challenges of the competition. He established radio workshops in San Juan, Río Piedras and Santurce. He was a communications consultant to the Government of Puerto Rico, and became the creator of the "Escuela del Aire" (School of the Airwaves), which, with the passing of time, is now the WIPR radio and broadcasting network. He was consulting engineer for the El Mundo Enterprises. His station was located in the Condado area.
Putting his creativity and interest into practice, he personally constructed the transmitting equipment of his first radio-broadcasting
station, WIPR, in Mayagüez, and the present WKBM, which then (1950-51) had its transmitters in Arecibo and its studios in San Juan. In 1954 he founded his television station, Channel 11, which is, at present, one of the most powerful of the Island.
Many and varied were the problems that Eng. Pérez-Perry had to confront, but his persistence and perseverance finally led to success. He was an exemplary family man. He was married for 34 years to Mrs. Zayda Ramírez de Arellano, and they procreated three (3) children: Papo, Icha, and Ingrid. They became the grandparents of five (5) grandchildren. However, his family was very much extensive, for it included all of his employees who considered him as their father.
Mister Pérez, as his colleagues at work and others called him, died on the $10^{ ext {th }}$ of May, 1978, from a heart attack while he was working in the Channel 11 transmitter at Cerro La Marquesa, that he was unable to survive, in spite of the efforts to save his life of his intimate friend and colleague, Don Jorge Roque. He left like a good soldier with his boots on. His death was deeply felt by the people of Puerto Rico, and public officials, representatives of private enterprises, and the general public, conveyed their condolences for his sad loss. Puerto Rico had lost one of its pioneers in radio broadcasting.
Section 1.- The Structures and Public Highways Naming Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is requested to study the possibility of denominating the present Condado Avenue, in San Juan, as the Rafael Pérez-Perry Avenue.
Section 2.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 32 (H.B. 2863) of the $4^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to request the Structures and Public Highways Naming Commission of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to study the possibility of naming the present Condado Avenue in the Municipality of San Juan, as the Rafael Pérez-Perry Avenue, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $12^{ ext {th }}$ of February of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director