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U.Porto Memory

Grand Hall of the University of Porto - Portrait Gallery

	Francisco de Paula de Azeredo Doctor of Physics and Chemistry, teacher, politician and bibliophile

Biography of Francisco de Paula de Azeredo (1859-1940)

Francisco de Paula de Azeredo Teixeira de Aguilar was born in the parish of Santo Ildefonso, Porto, on 30 December 1859. He was the son of Francisco de Azeredo Teixeira de Aguilar, 2nd Count of Samodães (1828-1918) and of Henriqueta Adelaide Vieira de Magalhães.

He was a colonel with a degree in Engineering by the Military School, a BA in Philosophy and Mathematics by the University of Coimbra, doctor of Physics and Chemistry by the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (1918).
Francisco de Paula de Azeredo taught at the Polytechnic Academy of Porto and FCUP. In the former, he was substitute teacher in the Department of Philosophy, for which he was appointed on 6 June 1895, and took up office on the 15th of the same month. He was permanent teacher of the 19th chair – Physics, by appointment of 5 December 1901. With the establishment of the University of Porto in 1911, he became a teacher of the 1st group – Physics, 2nd Department - Physics and Chemistry, at the Faculty of Sciences.
He directed the Physics Laboratory of the Polytechnic Academy of Porto (succeeding in 1907 Adriano de Paiva Brandão, the Count of Campo Belo), afterwards integrated in the Faculty of Sciences (1907-1926), helping to renovate this discipline. He was also director of the Meteorological Observatory Princesa D. Amélia, now the Geophysics Institute (Meteorological Observatory of Serra do Pilar), between march 31 1902 and february 14 1912.

He collaborated in scientific journals such as "Portugal" and "Revista de Engenharia Militar" and authored such works as "Pára-raios: estudo teórico e prático" (Porto, 1895).

Francisco de Paula de Azeredo was also dedicated to political life. He was a councillor of the Porto City Council in 1901. On the eve of the establishment of the Republic, he was part of the third to last Ministry of the monarchy - the Government of the Polytechnic of Porto, as the political adversaries called it - as Minister of Finance. While in the Government, he worked with two fellow professors of the Polytechnic Academy of Porto: Wenceslau de Lima, President of the Council of Ministers, and Manuel Terra Pereira Viana, Minister of Navy and Overseas Affairs. In 1931, he chaired the Administrative Commission of the City Council of Marco de Canaveses.

Heir to a vast library, which he undertook to increase, he donated Mathematics books to the Faculty of Sciences and the Physics Laboratory. His bust can be seen in the Old Collections Room, in the historical building of the University.
Although he retired in 18 April 1927, he continued to work at the university as librarian teacher until 1929.

A knight of the Military Order of Avis, he was also awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Afonso XII of Spain, and a silver medal for exemplar conduct.
He was an effective member of the Instituto de Coimbra (1880).

Francisco de Paula de Azeredo was married to Maria do Carmo de Sousa Azeredo, and they had 7 children: Adélia de Azeredo Kiating, Isabel de Azeredo Bastos, Maria do Carmo de Azeredo Calejo, Francisco António de Azeredo, António Maria de Azeredo, Paulo de Azeredo and Manuel de Azeredo.
He died on 21 June 1940 at his home in Quintã, parish of Constance, Marco de Canaveses. The Physics Professors Alexandre Alberto de Sousa Pinto and Álvaro Machado, of the Faculty of Sciences, attended his funeral. At the University of Porto, the flag was placed at half-mast.

The “Azeredo counsellor Azeredo” as he was known died on 21 June 1940 at his home in Quintã - Manor house of Samodães, parish of Constance, Marco de Canaveses. The Physics Professors Alexandre Alberto de Sousa Pinto and Álvaro Machado, of the Faculty of Sciences, attended his funeral. At the University of Porto, the flag was placed at half-mast.

Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2012. Scientific Review by Jorge Fernandes Alves (FLUP)