Jose Hernandez Gutierrez and Blanca Alvarez Blanco Papers

Blanca Álvarez Blanco (1899-1952) was born in Utuado, P.R. She studied at the University of Puerto Rico from 1914 – 1916 and worked as a teacher and editor until she moved to Jersey City, NJ in 1933 when she married Dr. José Hernández Gutiérrez. She gave birth to their only child, José, in 1935, and with a scholarship, earned an M.A. at Columbia University Teachers College in 1936. Despite trying to resume her work in Puerto Rico, she lived in Jersey City with her husband and son until her sudden death in 1952. Dr. José Hernández Gutiérrez (1899-1992) was born in San Juan, P.R. Traveling to the US in 1918 to study at the University of Pennsylvania Dental School, he was drafted upon arrival and served in the US Army in the First World War. Returning to the School, he graduated in 1922. Moving back to Puerto Rico, he worked as a Public Health Dentist in Utuado until 1928. He then moved to Jersey City, living with his brothers Manuel and Angel, until establishing his dental practice at 2560 Hudson Blvd. For his work in the Selective Service in World War II, he received Presidential and US Congressional honors. When many Puerto Ricans moved to Jersey City, he served as a community volunteer and politician from 1952 – 1966, assisting new arrivals, directing government programs in mental health and housing, and a credit union at the Centro Católico de Información. With official recognition from Jersey City, Hudson County, and the State of New Jersey, Dr. Hernández retired in 1966 and moved to Puerto Rico, where he lived until 1992. This collection contains their personal papers, newspaper clippings, and photographs.