About María Elisa Rivera Díaz
Lived 1887 – 1981 (aged 93–94). María Elisa Rivera Díaz was a Puerto Rican and American physician.
María Elisa Rivera y León de Díaz (January 20, 1887 – March 12, 1981) was one of the first four women from Puerto Rico to earn a medical degree; the other three were Ana Janer in 1909, Palmira Gatell in 1910, and Dolores Piñero in 1913. Ana Janer and Rivera graduated in the same medical school class in 1909 and thus could both be considered the first female Puerto Rican physician.
Rivera graduated from the Women's Medical College of Baltimore, and started her medical practice that same year. She was the first Puerto Rican woman to graduate medical school with the highest honors.
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Important facts
People in María Elisa Rivera Díaz's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped María Elisa Rivera Díaz's
Frequently asked questions
Who was María Elisa Rivera Díaz?
Puerto Rican medical doctor
When was María Elisa Rivera Díaz born?
María Elisa Rivera Díaz was born in 1887 in Arecibo.
When did María Elisa Rivera Díaz die?
María Elisa Rivera Díaz died in 1981 in San Juan.
What was María Elisa Rivera Díaz's occupation?
María Elisa Rivera Díaz was a physician.
What nationality was María Elisa Rivera Díaz?
María Elisa Rivera Díaz was Puerto Rican and American.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: María Elisa Rivera Díaz
· DBpedia: María Elisa Rivera Díaz
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). María Elisa Rivera Díaz. https://biography.guide/maria-elisa-rivera-diaz/
MLA: "María Elisa Rivera Díaz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/maria-elisa-rivera-diaz/.
Chicago: "María Elisa Rivera Díaz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/maria-elisa-rivera-diaz/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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