Cayetano Coll y Toste
Cayetano Coll y Toste, was a Puerto Rican physician, historian and writer, who served as Official Historian of Puerto Rico from 1913 until his death in 1930. He was the founder and editor of the fourteen volumes of the “Historical Bulletin of Puerto Rico.” He was the patriarch of a prominent family of Puerto Rican educators, politicians and writers.
Early years
Coll y Toste was born on November 30, 1850 in Arecibo, Captaincy General of Puerto Rico. Coll's father was born in Spain and his mother, Monserrate Toste Torres de Coll Bassa, was born in Puerto Rico.In 1863, he entered the Jesuits' Seminary College in San Juan from where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 1868. In 1872, Coll y Toste went to Barcelona, Spain and enrolled in the "School of Medicine" of the University of Barcelona. From here he graduated as a "Doctor in Medicine and Surgery" in 1872. During his stay in Spain, he was able to study historical documents relating to Puerto Rico which he later found to be useful to him.
Historian
In 1874, Coll y Toste returned to the island where he set up his own medical practice in Arecibo. In 1891, he was named director of the Catholic Hospital of Arecibo. In his free time, he developed both a love of and an interest in literature. Not only did he become interested in investigating the history of Puerto Rico, but, he also took an active interest in the island's politics and was the founder and director of a publication called "El Ramillete". He also collaborated with the "Revista Puertorriqueña", "La Semana Politica" and "Plumas Amigas".Political activity
In 1897, a year before the Spanish–American War, Coll y Toste was Sub-Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce and was named Regional Governor of Northern Puerto Rico by the Spanish Crown. After the war, Coll y Toste was named Civil Secretary and in 1900 Commissioner of the Interior by General Davis the military governor appointed by the United States. He held the position of Secretary of the Government and he also became a delegate to Puerto Rico's House of Representatives. In 1913 Coll y Toste was named Official Historian of Puerto Rico, preceded by Salvador Brau. Among Coll y Toste's other civil positions were the Presidency of the Puerto Rican Historical Academy and of the Ateneo Puertorriqueño.Written works
Among his many written works are:El Boletin Historico de Puerto Rico Cronicas de Arecibo Leyendas y Tradiciones PuertorriqueñasHis research into the history of Puerto Rico gave people an insight into the island from the time of the Taínos up until 1927. One of his works, The Indo-Antillean Vocabulary, is valuable in understanding the way of life of the Taínos. His works are required reading in Puerto Rican high schools and universities.
Later years
Coll was married to Adela Cuchí y Arnau, daughter of José Cuchí y Arnau former mayor of Arecibo. Together they had six children, among them José Coll y Cuchí, who founded the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and Cayetano Coll y Cuchí, who was a President of Puerto Rico House of Representatives. Adela Cuchí y Arnau died in 1926.Spain bestowed upon Coll y Toste the title of "Comendador de la Real Orden Americana de Isabel la Catolica" and the Government of Venezuela honored Coll y Toste with the title of "Caballero de la Orden de Bolivar". Cayetano Coll y Toste died on November 19, 1930, in the City of Madrid. His granddaughter, Isabel Cuchí Coll, who was an author and the director of the "Sociedad de Autores Puertorriqueños", published his work "Historia de la esclavitud en Puerto Rico " in 1972.