VOLUME 33, NO. 4, APRIL, 1956
EDUARDO VITORIA, S.J.: A CONTEMPORARY LEADER IN THE SPANISH CHEMICAL WORLD MIGUEL M. VARELA, S.J. Woodstock College, Woodstock, Maryland
M A * 7, 1955 was Chemistry Day for Spain's industrial dawn against the background of rising distillation city of Barcelona. To celebrate it a rather short, towers and storage tanks. bright-eyed, smiling scientist took a look a t his own frozen features. He had just unveiled a bust which per- THETEACHERANDSCHOLAR petuated in bronze the lineaments of one of Spain's When Father Vitoria first saw the light of day in greatest contemporary chemists. What his thoughts 1864, General Lee's memories of Gettysburg were but mere as he observed this, his "other self," we do not a year old. I n terms of chemical chronology he was a know. But this we do know, he was meeting his own year ahead of KekulB's formulation of the hexagonal self as his fellow scientists and former students con- benzene ring. Spanish political life was then in a ferceived of him-the inspiring teacher, productive scholar, ment, but his native town of Alcoy had still a long way successful executive, and exemplary priest that he to go before attaining the stature it has today as a cenis. That May day saw the double celebration of the ter of the paper industry in southeastern Spain. At fiftieth birthday of the Instituto Qulrnico de Sarriit ten he enrolled a t the Jesuit college in Valencia, and for and the ninetieth birthday of its founder, Father the next seven years he assimilated not only the best of Eduardo Vitoria, S.J. The fact that a scientist and the Greek, Latin, and Spanish classicists, but also dehis pet project have reached such a state of development veloped his taste and enjoyment of philosophy. Even as to be computable almost in terms of a century is in- during those early years he manifested a liking for mathdeed reason enough to warrant the festive spirit: But ematics, so that by the time he received his diploma of Father Vitoria's career means more than that to Spanish the Bachilleralo in 1881 he knew where he would go chemists and industrialists. It is a harbinger of a new next. At the University of Madrid he was admitted as
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a student in the department of exact sciences, which included the section of mathematics. However, his life took a new turn when he decided to seek admissiou to the religious organization the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits as they are commonly known. The Jesuit Order accepted his application, and started him on the t,rainine wroeram for its candidates to the wriesthood.
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Fathe. Vitoria on His Ninetieth Birthday (1954)
The young Vitoria spent a good number of years going over more thoroughly the classical and modern literatures, philosophy, and the natural sciences. As is customary, before starting his four years of theology that culminate in the reception of Holy Orders, he was assigned to a classroom where as a teacher he could test the effectiveness of the pedagogical priuciples learned up till then. It was during this part of his Jesuit formation that our young Vitoria was chosen by his superiors for a special assignment. By the turn of our century his superiors felt the need of creating a scientific center that would be the cradle of future scholars capable of achieving eminence in the natural sciences. This long-range plan called for a preliminary step: the training of Jesuits who had the aptitude for both laboratory and classroom work, men with the enthusiasm and imagination that would draw others to follow in their footsteps. Father Vitoria's scholastic abilities and scientific leanings were well known t o his superiors. This, together with the scarcity of Jesuits then ready to take up the tasks of chemist and teacher, moved them t o assign Father Vitoria to pursue graduate work in chemistry a t the University of Valencia. Under the guidance of D. Luis Montesinos, a former stu-
dent of Fresenius, he had the distinction of being the first chemistry studeut to obtain his Licentiate with a major in physical chemistry. This he did summa cum laude in 1896. His years a t both the University of Madrid and that of Valencia had put him in contact with scholars, made him aware of advances in his field, and eiven him a taste of the dvnamism of the scientific world. From the University of Valencia he was assigned to complete his Jesuit education by taking up five years of theology a t Tortosa, a town by the banks of the Ebro River and some 100 miles south of Barcelona. After his ordination to the priesthood in 1898 came his last year of dogmatic theology, followed by another of ascetical theology. In 1902 he was sent to the University of Louvain to complete his formal chemical training. Under the direction of Prof. Louis Henry he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on July 22, 1904. This was published later that same year in the Bvlletin de l'Acad8mie Royale de Belgique. I t was a Grignard reaction application, "Sur l'isopropanoltrichlor6 1.1.1." Before returning to Spain, Dr. Vitoria spent some time perfecting his German a t the Jesuit college of Valkenburg and then visiting important chemical and industrial centers of the German empire. He mas then interested in studying a t close range the pedagogical preference of German professors for intensive laboratory work and personal research. This mas something he felt had to be introduced in his country's technical schools. upon his return to Spain he found an assignment waiting for him. A three-story building was going up a t Roquetas under the direction of Father Bakells, S.J., a former captain in the Engineer Corps. I t was close to the Jesuit astronomical observatory of El Ebro, and would accommodate in its ground floor the chemistry department, in the first floor the biology department, and in the second floor the physics department. By August, 1905, the building was ready for occupancy. Father Vitoria was asked to organize the chemistry department and he its first head. This technical institute, known as Laboratorio Quimico del Ebro, was close enough to Tortosa to be of value to the Jesuit students of philosophy who had t o take the required courses in the natural sciences. Moreover, it was hoped that the proximity of those laboratories would arouse in those younger miuds an appreciation for the scientific method and, in a few, a desire to make the natural sciences their field of specialization. Such hopes were not t o prove frnitless. For Father Vitoria himself the next nine years were rich in teaching experience as well as productive in scientific publications. In 1907 he published the first Spanish original work on physical chemistry, "Conferencias de Quimica Moderna," which was the fruit of his lectures to his Jesuit chemistry students. I n 1912 he compiled his manual for laboratory work, "PrBcticas Quimicas para CBtedras y Laboratorios," whose seventh edition appeared in 1954. . Two years previous he had published a textbook on general chemistry, "Manual de Quimica Moderna," which became so popular that in two years a second
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edition was published. The thirteenth edition of this 540-page work will appear soon. Within this period, too, he published a 600-page work on theories and applications of chemical catalysts, "Catilisis Quimica," which won special honors from the Royal Academy of Barcelona. A new and enlarged edition of this work came out in 1946. A treatise on acetylene and its applications, "Acetileno y sus aplicaciones," and many other articles appearing in national and foreign journals under his name were further testimonies of his untiring industry. Meantime, he was directing various doctoral dissertations of his Tortosa students, which by then included lay students who had been attracted by his reputation. Among these were the Count of Rius, Joaquin de Querol, who for many years was to work on the analysis of wines; Dr. Jose Fombuena, later professor a t a state university; and D. Francisco Alberola, who carried on work on the industrial analysis of oranges. The growing importance of Barcelona as an industrial center made him aware of the need of extending the activities of the Ebro laboratories. The country was in need of technically trained men who would keep up with the advances in industrial chemistry. For this purpose he organized a curriculum that relied heavily on laboratory work while still retaining a commensurate amount of lecture periods. Those complementary courses for professionals included inorganic chemistry, chemical analysis, and physical organic chemistry. One full hour of lecture and five of laboratory were assigned to each subject as a work unit. At this time (1914) plans were also afoot to transfer the whole institution to Sarrii, then a suburb of Barcelona. It was on October 15,1916, that the first classes were held at this new locale, and from then on the school was t o be known as Instituto Quimico de Sarrs. During those years, too, Father Vitoria had been able to obtain the assistance of two other Jesuit chemists-Father Eugenio Saz, who was put in charge of analytical chemistry, an officehe retained until his death a few years ago; and Father Antonio Castro, who assumed the chair of inorganic chemistry. It was Father Saz who in later years published various works on analytical chemistry and was to become well known in Spanish circles for his theory on positive and negative valences, which was along the lines of original contributions in the field of electronic valence theory. During the years following World War I the work of Father Vitoria began to show tangible results. Industrial management had become aware of the benefits of his work and began soliciting its graduates for technical positions in industry, while former alumni stimulated their sons t o follow in their footsteps and seek the ivied halls of their alma mater. A new trend in the policies of the school's administration appeared. Now the majority of the students were intent on a training geared to the industrial applications of chemistry. The challenge was taken up, and the director, Father Vitoria, devised a new program of studies more suitable to the industrial needs of the region of Catalonia, and somewhat modeled on the chemical engineering curric-
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ula of other European centers. However, two difficulties were to be avoided: that of overloading the course with subjects to the extent of prolonging disproportionately the residence period, and that of sacrificing the laboratory time for lecture hours. Meantime, Father Vitoria kept up his contributions to Spanish chemical literature. Some of his previous works were re-edited. He published his organic chemistry lectures in book form, "Quimica del Carbono," whose third edition of 1000 pages was published in 1948. In his "Los Pesos Moleculares" he discussed in detail some of the chapters of his 1907 text on physical chemistry. Other minor works of this period were his conferences a t the University of Valencia, published under the titles "La Ciencia Quimica y la Vida Social," "Las, Ceras Litfirgicas," and "Contribucibn a1 Estudio de 10s Compuestos Etenico y Etinicos," and his studies on bituminous deposits. All this work did not prevent him from acceptinginvitations to lecture in the summer of 1924 at the Universities of Buenos Aires and of La Plata, both in Argentina. It was therefore no surprise t o his friends when European scientific societies soon began to acknowledge his contributions in the field of chemistry. The Royal Academy of Sciences of Barcelona, the National Academy of Medicine of Buenos Aires, the Pontifical Roman Academy Nuovi Lincei, the Argentinian Chemical Society, the Societe de Chimie Industrielle of Paris, and many others opened their doors to him, admitting him among their distinguished members. As early as 1921, a group of Father Vitoria's former students organized themselves under the corporate title of Asociaci6n de Quimicos del Instituto, and under their former mentor's direction the first copies of the chemical publication Afinidad rolled off the press. I n this task he was assisted by two distinguished alumni, D. Jose Morat6, and D. Juan Marques Ferri. I n 1929 the format of Afnidad was changed to its present one, and it has since been publishing the results of chemical work done a t the Institute. I n 1928 he was elected president of the physical chemistry section of the Spanish Association for the Advancement of Science, when this organization was celebrating a congress in Barcelona. This occasion brought prominent local and foreign guests to the doors of the Institute which was then inaugurating new classrooms and a lecture hall for organic chemistry. However, with the advent of the precarious years preceding the Spanish Civil War the expanding activities of the Institute suffered a severe blow. The expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain together with the instability brought about by political dissensions affected the very existence of Father Vitoria's enterprises. But this was not t o be for long. Barely a fortnight after the Jesuits had left Spanish soil the Institute was reorganized by loyal alumni under the new name of Academia Mutioa, in honor of its advocate, D. Juan Jose Muiioz, who is a t present a professor of the Institute. Due to the cramped quarters the classes had to be offered on a rotation system which meant a heavier teaching load for the faculty. This
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setup was temporary since a new location was obtained through the generosity of D. Rambn Par Tusquets, and the Institute now took another corporate title, Centro de Estudios Qufmicos, though still under the direction of Sr. Mufioz. This center went on from 1932 t o 1936, and with the slackening of government orders regarding activities of the Jesuits, Father Vitoria together with Father Gil (the present director of the Institute) undertook the risks of teaching a t the Centro. By this time Father Vitoria was close t o his 70's, yet he could muster more than enough energy to reorganize his work. To avoid overtaxing himself he was prevailed upon to undertake only the direction of the alumni association, the editorship of Ajinidud, and the classes in apologetics. This also gave him more time to keep up his contributions to the chemical literature. It was in 1934 that Father Gil took over the direction of the Institute as well as the chair of organic chemistry. The new director, a former student of Father Vitoria, planned to introduce those improvements which his master had been unable to push through because of the unsettled political conditions, but the Civil War of 1936 put a halt to all such projects. During the three years of hostilities Father Vitoria joined his Jesuit confreres who had sought refuge in Italy. But even a t Castello di Bolengo his scholarly spirit allowed him no rest. He continued t o give lectures in chemistry t o his Jesuit students, and later obtained his superior's permission to return to his native country and teach chemistry to college students in the Franco sector of Navarre. With the war's end in 1939 the Institute came back to life. From 1939 to 1940though, only the first-year class mas opened since a good number of former students had either lost their lives in the conflict, or were for the moment in no position to resume studies. Soon after, however, the Institute had to refuse many an applicant because of limited quarters. Their number since then has always been three or four times in excess of the suitable number. It wasduring the school year 194C-41 that the intended pre-civil war innovations were implemented. These plans aimed a t concentrating efforts on training first-class industrial chemists. Besides chemistry, physics, mathematics, and languages also were made obligatory subjects. -Complementary subjects were to be mineralogy, geology, industrial analyses, chemical engineering fundamentals, sociology, apologetics, and ethics. Alongside these curricular improvements went the expansion of the physical facilities of the Institute. I n 1943 the original building was expanded t o three times its floor space. Father Vitoria, though no longer its director, still continued offering his help for its growth and improvement. Even today in his ninetieth year he still is in charge of the officeshe assumed in 1936. He is, in addition, writing his memoirs and contributing original articles. To these assignments must be added the hours he spends as technical adviser and student counselor. Such zealous services t o chemical education won for him in 1946 the highest award that his country offers for scientific achievements, the Grand Cross of Alphonsus X. And
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on the occasion of his ninetieth birthday the Spanish government awarded him the gold medal for meritorious services. THE INSTITUTO QU~MICODE S A R R I ~
The priest-scientist and his Institute have become so identified in Spanish scientific and educational circles that it would be an incomplete task were we not to describe the present vitality of Father Vitoria's 50-yearold project. Every year only 40 applicants are accepted from among those who have passed the State examinations or the pre-university courses. The candidates' first year is preparatory in nature, aimed a t weeding out the unfit. This year is climaxed by the qualifying examinations that usher those who pass them into the formal four-year course. Between July and September each year a review class is given for those prep-students who think they might profit by it in preparation for the qualifyings. The courses taken during the preparatory year are fundamentals of philosophy, foreign languages, and general courses in religion, mathematics, physics, chemistry, and mineralogy. Failure to make a passing grade in any of these subjects bars the candidate from continuing in the school. The four years of professional courses sum up to 1600 hours of laboratory work, 1200 hours of lecture periods, and 150 hours of examination periods. I n his first year the student takes up general chemistry, inorganic chemistry, fundamentals of analytical chemistry, mathematics, and languages. The second year he delves into analytical chemistry (qualitative, quantitative, volumetric, gravimetric, special), advanced physics advanced mineralogy, geology, and languages. For his third year he has organic chemistry I (synthetic and analytic), physical chemistry, industrial analyses, and languages. In his last year he takes organic chemistry 11, fundamentals of chemical engineering, an industrial project, sociology, and ethics. Throughout his four years he also takes the fundamentals of theology. Lectures are given in the morning and laboratory work goes on for four hours in the afternoon. The subjects are divided into primary, secondary, and auxiliary. Primary subjects include inorganic, analytical, organic, physical chemistry, and chemical engineering. Languages are considered auxiliary subjects, and all the others come under the heading of secondary subjects. Examinations are written, but orals are allowed in case of doubtful grades or as a chance to improve low ones. All laboratory courses require examinations that must be passed before undergoing the corresponding theoretical examinations. Ten unjustified absences in either lecture or laboratory periods in a subject disqualifies the student from the right to the June examinations in that subject. The principal subjects may be retaken but once, and the secondary twice, after which the student forfeits his right to the diploma. If in the course of his years a t the Institute the student receives seven grades lower than six he is likewise disqualified from graduation. Visits t o chemical indus-
VOLUME 33, NO. 4, APRIL, 1956 tries and reports on these form part of the complementary courses. Even after his graduation the alumnus finds in his alma mater the help needed to carry on individual research or to solve any technical problems he may meet in his job. As a further aid to the alumni the Institute has specialization courses in soaps, perfumery, cosmetics, fats, and oils. Spanish chemical industries, too, find in the Institute a research and development center. Out of the 1184 alumni only 756 (63 per cent) have received the title of Diplomado, although 92 per cent of the 1184 have chosen industrial chemistry as their life work. Although the title offered by the Institute has as yet no official government recognition, in accordance with the government policy of recognizing only state university degrees, still of late the Spanish Ministry of Education has shown signs of a greater appreciation for the school's accomplishments. In 1953the Minister of Education recognized the newlyerected student union building as one of the country's official residences for university students. One hundred of them reside there and enjoy the facilities offered by private rooms, recreation halls, and a cafeteria. Moreover, the government has also of late offered to defray part of the running expenses of the Institute. The prestige that the center has won in foreign countries is another indication of its intrinsic value. Its graduates are considered to be sufficiently equipped to be allowed to go on for doctoral work with minimum requirements a t universities like Caen, Grenoble, and Fribourg. The Nobel laureate in chemistry Paul Sabatier in a letter to Father Vitoria laid down the precedent that any graduate of the Institute may obtain the degree of chemical engineering from the University of Toulouse's chemistry department after one year of studies at the French university. ANNIVEFSARY CELEBRATIONS Last May's double anniversary a t the Institnto Quimico de SarriA will long be remembered by Spanish chemists. It consisted of two parts: threegroups of expositions, and the academic program to honor its founder, Father Vitaria. The expositions had a two-fold aim: to bring to light both the achievements of the school and the greater participation of its alumni in today's growing Spanish chemical industries. One of these expositions displayed 142 booths of chemical products and industries in which the Institute's alumni have a hand either as managers or as employees. The second group of exhibits was that on scientific instruments and laboratory materials, in which 40 firms participated. The third group of exhibits was that entitled The Spanish Chemistry Book. This was the first display in Spain of chemical publications edited by Spanish printers. It brought into one place about 600 books on chemical subjects, and included those historically-valuable editions now in the custody of the National Library of Madrid. Ajinidad for May, 1955, crystallized this chemical treasury in a special extraseries issue of 288 pages entitled "CatAlogo del Libro
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Espaiiol de Quimica (192C-1955)." I n it are listed, following regular library entries, 1200 chemistry publications edited in Spain between the years 1920 and 1955. The emphasis of this bibliography is on analyb ical and industrial chemistry, but it includes such other headings as atomic structure, agricultural chemistry, metallurgy, and mathematics for chemists. The special program to honor Father Vitoria was outstanding not only for the solemnity of the occasion hut also for the presence of distinguished foreign chemists who came to share with him the satisfaction of witnessing the accomplishments of 50 years of labor, as well as to acknowledge the value of his work for industrial chemistry and chemical education in Spain. The President of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, Prof. Dr. Clemens Schijpf, voiced the greetings of German chemists offeringFather Vitoria an 1843 copper engraving of Baron von Liebig. The second speaker, Dr. Bruylants, chemistry professor a t the Catholic University of Louvain, displayed a perfect command of Latin when reading the salutations from Father Vitoria's a h a mater. The University of Fribourg's representative was Dr. Louis Chardonneus, who directed the doctoral thesis of today's director, Father Gil QuinzA, S.J. France's chemists sent two representatives, Dr. Cathala of the University of Toulouse, and M. Paul Foret of the Soci6tA de Chimie Industrielle. The University of Madrid expressed its joy and good wishes through Prof. Dr. Manuel Lora Tamayo, who is also the secretary of the national research center, Juan de la Cierva Institute. The Universities of Caen, of Grenoble, of Barcelona, and of Valencia, as well as the Spanish Royal Academy of Sciences were among the many other centers of learning which took part in the celebrations through official congratulatory letters. Undoubtedly present, too, in spirit were those scientific organizations in and outside of Spain that have admitted Father Vitoria among their own. They had become aware of his prominence and value way back in the first years of the Institute's establishment, as is noticed in the following listing of the scientific bodies to which he belongs: Soci6t6 Quimique de Paris (1905), Deutsche Chemische Gesselschaft of Berlin (1906), Spanish Royal Academy of Physics and Chemistry (1909), Coimbra Institute of Portugal (fellowship in 1911), Sociedad Cientifica Antonio Alzate of Mexico (fellowship in 1913), Sociedad Quimica Argentina (fellowship in 1914), Pontifical Roman Academy Dei Nuovi L i c e i (fellowship in 1916), Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of Barcelona (fellowship in 1917), Soci6t6 Scientifique of Brussels (1918), Academy of Sciences of Saragossa (fellowship in 1921), Argentinian Chemical Society (honorary memhership in 1924), Argentinian National Pharmaceutical Society (1925), National Academy of Medicine of Buenos Aires (fellowship in 1940), Vice-president of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences of Barcelona (1945), President of this last organization (1947-52), and Soci6t6 de Chimie Industrielle (honorary memhership in 1948). To say that Father Vitoria's 50-year services to chem-
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ical education have been most fruitful is to state the obvious. For this we have but to take a look a t the massive walls of his Instituto and recall the names of the hundreds of students to whom he has imparted the spirit of the chemical profession. We only hope that in the future his work may be carried on with even greater success by the nine doctors and six masters whom his foresight and enthusiasm have trained for the job. May this brief review of the priest-scientist and his achievements be the tribute of thanks as well as the
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token of appreciation of his English-speaking colleagues who are rightly proud of a fellow educator, a scholar, and a chemist who has added new luster to the teaching and chemical professions. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author is indebted to Father Salvador Gil Q u i d , S.J., and to Professors Jose Nolla Casals and Eusebio Diaz Correa for their assistance in preparing this article.
