Ulpiano Colóm

Ricardo Ulpiano Colom y Ferrer was [List of mayors of Ponce, Puerto Rico|Ponce, Puerto Rico|Mayor] of Ponce, Puerto Rico, during part of 1898. He was the second of two mayors to lead the municipality of Ponce under the Spanish Crown's "Decreto Autonómico para Puerto Rico", whereby Puerto Rico was granted autonomy by Spain.

Early years

He was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico on 3 April 1861. His parents were José Colom and Belen Ferrer.
He was an attorney, a member of the House of Delegates of Puerto Rico, a councilman for the municipality of Ponce, an assistant in the Ponce Fire Department, a director and vice-president of the Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño, and a municipal judge, among the various other positions he held.

Mayoral term

Colom y Ferrer became mayor of Ponce on 8 July 1898. He was the sitting mayor of Ponce at the time when the Americans took possession of the city on 28 July 1898. Upon the American invasion, Colom tendered his resignation, but it was not accepted by the American Major General James H. Wilson, who instead extended Colom's jurisdiction to additional adjacent towns as the American troops advanced.

Death and legacy

Colom Ferrer died in Ponce on 13 February 1906 as a result of an "ataque de angina de pecho". He was interred at the "Antiguo Cementerio de esta Ciudad", today's Panteón Nacional Román Baldorioty de Castro. In Ponce there is a street in Urbanización Las Delicias of Barrio Magueyes named after him.