SANTIAGO ANTÚNEZ DE MAYOLO: BIOGRAPHY, CONTRIBUTIONS AND WORKS - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo (1887-1967) was a prominent Peruvian scientist known for his contributions in the fields of physics, mathematics, and engineering. His works were always focused on solving the energy and industrialization problems that his native land suffered.

For this he received various recognitions, such as a nomination for the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1943 and the Commander's Medal, awarded by the Congress of the Republic of his country, for his important services rendered to the country in terms of scientific studies.

Monument of Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo, Peruvian engineer, physicist and mathematician in the Chalampampa Children's Ecological Park. By PEIC7.jpg: Digaryderivative work: Digary¿Yanapa? (PEIC7.jpg), via Wikimedia Commons

In addition, Antúnez de Mayolo published an important number of titles, around a dozen works of varied interest, whose themes include scientific treatises that address his studies and discoveries in the fields of physics and engineering.

He also devoted himself to energy research, as well as writing philosophical and humanistic titles that demonstrate the broad intellect of the Peruvian thinker, as well as the variety of his interests.

Biography

This Peruvian scientist was born as Santiago Ángel de la Paz Antúnez de Mayolo Gomero on January 10, 1887 in Bella Vista de Huacllán, in the province of Aija, part of the department of Áncash.

From a very young age he studied in prestigious schools, among which is the Colegio Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe in Lima, an establishment where he met the famous poet Abraham Valdelomar.

Studies on electricity and engineering

In 1905 he began to study at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, in Lima, within the section dedicated to mathematical sciences.

From these first moments, his passion for this area of ​​knowledge was noted, because at the end of the first academic year he was recognized for his intellect and his excellent average, receiving from the president of the section José Pardo y Barreda the gold medal of his promotion.

In 1907 Antúnez de Mayolo suffered the loss of his father; soon after, his family decided to send him to study in Europe to divert his mind. Thanks to the recommendation of an Italian professor he met at the University, Antúnez de Mayolo found a place at the University of Grenoble, in France.

In five years he achieved the title of electrical engineer and a few months later he was awarded the diploma of Studies in Industrial Chemistry and Electrochemistry. With this knowledge base already, Antúnez de Mayolo could begin to develop his studies and improvements on energy in his native country.

It was during his internship in Switzerland that he learned about hydroelectric power plants and electric locomotive technology. After this he made a tour of European countries, concentrating on getting to know different electro-steel plants.

During his tour he visited Germany, Norway and London, settling in New York in February 2012 to continue his studies at Columbia University, this time on applied electricity. In this city he met Lucie Christina Rynning, whom he married in the middle of the same year and whom he took with him to Peru a few months later.

Back in peru

Shortly after returning to his native country, Antúnez de Mayolo dedicated himself to touring it in all its breadth, studying mining and water resources with eagerness and dedication. He focused on the potential of rivers to generate energy.

Antúnez de Mayolo reviewed all the applications that this use of waterfalls could have, not only as a discovery and scientific application but also as a momentary investment of money. As time passed, it bore an impressive amount of fruit, undoubtedly improving the country's precarious economy and allowing its growth.

He began working at Huallaga, a Huánuco-based mining company. In this, he developed the project for the Cañón del Pato Hydroelectric Power Plant, one of the best known of this researcher and man of science.

Through this project he built a dam and used its waterfall to produce energy. However, the government never showed much interest in the project.

Despite his already established reputation as an intellectual and having studied at some of the best universities abroad, Antúnez de Mayolo wasted no time and continued his studies at the well-known Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, where he opted for the degree Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences, reaching it in 1924.

Death

Antúnez de Mayolo dedicated his life to teaching, researching and publishing his discoveries and scientific theories until the end of his days. This scientist died in Lima on April 20, 1967.

Contributions

Antúnez de Mayolo can be said to be one of the most outstanding scientists in the history of Peru. His studies and discoveries helped to forge what currently characterizes the Peruvian people.

Teaching

Antúnez de Mayolo divided his life in Peru between teaching and research, and formed minds in the most prestigious facilities.

Some of the facilities in which the students were deeply benefited by their teachings are the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, which was soon joined by the National School of Engineers and the National School of Arts and Crafts.

Discoveries

When Antúnez de Mayolo was not dedicated to teaching, he was completely immersed in his own investigations and discoveries.

Among his many contributions is the creation of plans and studies for the irrigation of the Peruvian coast, as well as the development of a complex and new theory on light, matter and gravitation.

Among his greatest discoveries are those related to the existence of the neutron. The Peruvian intellectual predicted the existence of some sort of neutral element that meets the characteristics of the James Chadwick neutron, around 11 years before the English scientist made his discovery.

Plays

Antúnez de Mayolo was not only an outstanding scientist and teacher, but he was also a prolific author. He published everything related to his scientific discoveries on multiple occasions.

For example, in 1936 he published a work devoted entirely to light and electromagnetic fields, gravity and matter entitled Gravitation. Over the years he expanded this research with publications that expanded what is explained in it.

In 1940 he published an allied work devoted to electromagnetic theory and in 1942 he spoke about the quantification of the electromagnetic field in A new key to the crossroads of physics.

However, his academic interest was not limited to the hard sciences. In 1935 he completed a complex archaeological and anthropological study related to his expedition to Alto Marañon.

There, in the community of Tinyash, the scientist discovered a lithic stele with a drawing in which the figure of an anthropomorphized god seemed to be represented.

Energy

Outside of these special cases, the vast majority of his written work are plans and actions to follow to use the force of different sources of natural water, such as the Mantaro River, Rímac River, the Chamaya River and some others, as sources of energy.

His biggest concern was always the lack of energy and how expensive it was for the Peruvian people. In the same way, it hurt this scientist to know the scientific advances that were taking place around the world while his Peru did not have the same possibilities.

For this reason, he always insisted on presenting his projects, taking them to the appropriate instances, which should be in charge of evaluating the project, weighing benefits and costs, and carrying out what was considered the most effective proposal.

However, few of his projects were accepted in the public sphere and even fewer were carried out, but Antúnez de Mayolo never lost sight of the continuous decline of his country, always looking for practical and effective solutions to these problems.

Other of his great projects went unnoticed due to the advance of his interest in the electrical issue. His works on archeology, the electromagnetic pulse and even the neutron make up the editorial portfolio of this scientist, who dedicated so much to his country and had so many intentions to bring it to the level of large European cities.

Legacy

Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo proved throughout his life to be a top-quality scientist, as well as an engineer of the highest abilities. There is no doubt that his multiple studies abroad, his publications, works and projects were the elements that led him to develop as a capable man, advanced for his time and context.

Nor can one doubt the deep love that Antúnez de Mayolo felt for his country, because throughout his life he never stopped working for its improvement and development.

He always focused on scientific aspects to achieve a real change in the social and economic development of Peru, which would allow it to grow and get closer to European communities and routines.

His intellect and his abilities have been highly recognized by the whole world. Some scientists have dedicated themselves to demonstrating what it raises in their texts, achieving great advances in the world of science.

References

1. Irurozqui, M. "Biography of Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo" (2018) in The Biography. Retrieved on October 3, 2018 from The Biography: thebiography.us
2. Various authors, "Biography of Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo" (2017) at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Retrieved on October 3, 2018 from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos: unmsm.edu.pe
3. Various authors, "Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo" in Ecured. Retrieved on October 3, 2018 from Ecured: ecured.cu
4. Various authors, "Who was Santiago Antúnez de Mayolo?" in Magazine of the Chemical Society of Peru. Retrieved on October 3, 2018 from Scielo: scielo.org.pe
5. Drafting EC. "The legacy of the Peruvian wise man, Santiago Antunez de Mayolo". Retrieved on October 3, 2018 from El Comercio: elcomercio.pe