Miguel E. “Don Mike” Rodriguez Papers

Miguel E. “Don Mike” Rodriguez was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico in 1934. He moved to New York City in 1957. Three years later, he married and moved to Newark. In 1968, Rodríguez worked for the New Jersey Department of Labor. A year later, he started at the Model Cities Program and became the North Newark Regional Director. Through the efforts of the Black and Puerto Rican Coalition and as a result of the Newark Rebellion (1967), Mr. Rodríguez became the Deputy Mayor of Community Affairs for 16 years. Starting in 1987, he worked in the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) program of the Newark Housing Authority. Throughout his civic career, Mr. Rodríguez became a founding member of the Puerto Rican Lion’s Club (the first Puerto Rican chapter in New Jersey), the Communication International Marketing Award (CIMA), and the Hispanic American Chamber of Commerce of Essex County, where he currently serves as chairman. He retired to Florida in 2004. The collection includes photocopies of newspapers, photographs of Rodriguez with prominent figures, birthday and retirement programs, awards and a proclamation, and sashes. There are items in both English and Spanish. An interview of Mike Rodriguez is available in the Latino Oral History Collection: Latino Life Stories.