Resumen

MONCADA MAYA, José Omar. Engineering geographers in the political and academic life of nineteenth-century Mexico. The first generation. Invest. Geog [online]. 2024, n.113, e60804.  Epub 30-Jul-2024. ISSN 2448-7279.  https://doi.org/10.14350/rig.60804.

The 19th century in Mexico is significant for the academic and professional institutionalization of geography. Starting in 1834 with the establishment of the surveyorgeographer studies, but especially with the establishment of geographic engineering in 1843 at the Colegio de Minería in Mexico City, a small group of only 18 individuals completed their studies and achieved an important academic, social and political recognition that allowed them to develop a brilliant teaching activity in institutions such as the Colegio de Minería and the Colegio Militar, as well as in other institutions of higher education; to them must be added a single geographic engineer who developed his studies in the state of Jalisco. In the 1850s, only three individuals obtained their degrees as geographic engineers: José Salazar Ilarregui, Francisco Díaz Covarrubias and Francisco Jiménez, who are perhaps the most recognized in the texts on the history of Mexican science in the 19th century. This article shows how, in addition to teaching, they developed an active participation in territorial surveys and scientific expeditions supported by the Mexican government. The experiences acquired allowed them, later on, to occupy various public positions, with governments of different political tendencies. But the link that the geographic community will establish with the Ministry of Development throughout the second half of the century will stand out above all, to such an extent that some of them will occupy the position of secretary of the Ministry, or undersecretaries or senior officials. A final aspect to be emphasized is the outstanding role they also played in the main scientific associations of nineteenth-century Mexico, holding the main positions in several of them. However, for official history, their contributions to science or culture are secondary, and it is their political position that has determined the recognition they are given today. Thus, Salazar and Jiménez, despite their important performance as men of science and as civil servants, for their collaboration with the empire of Maximilian of Habsburg continue to play a secondary role for Mexican science.

Palabras llave : Colegio de Minería; professional institutionalization; Secretaría de Fomento; scientific societies.

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