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U.Porto Memory

Teachers and students of the first Faculty of Arts of the University of Porto

Francisco Romano Newton de Macedo

	1894-1944 University Teacher and Publicist

Born in Lisbon on 6 November 1894, he attended the Faculty of Arts of Lisbon and completed his BSc in Philosophy with a dissertation entitled "A Crise Moral e a Acção Pedagógica" [The Moral Crisis and Pedagogical Action]. He met Leonardo Coimbra while he was a teacher of Philosophy at the Gil Vicente Central High School, in Lisbon, in 1916, and established with him a fruitful professional and intellectual relationship which eventually turned into a lasting friendship.

When Leonardo Coimbra was Minister of Public Education for the first time, Francisco de Macedo was appointed by the government for one of the new positions of Ordinary Professor at the Faculty of Arts of Coimbra. However, following the conflict raised by the establishment of the First Faculty of Arts of Porto, he asked to be transferred to this new institution, thus starting his university teaching career from 18 October 1919 on.

Shortly afterwards, he was appointed Ordinary Professor of the 6^th Group (Philosophical Sciences) and later Full Professor, under the Statutes of University Education of 1926. He was responsible for the chairs of History of Ancient Philosophy, History of Medieval Philosophy, History of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy, History of Civilization, History of Religions and Experimental Psychology. Twice elected and appointed Librarian of the First Faculty of Arts of Porto (1920-1929), he also served as Interim Director when Leonardo Coimbra left to take up government duties. In 1925, he was invited to be Head of the Office of the Ministry of Education led by João Camoesas. At the end of the year, he resumed his teaching duties at the Faculty of Arts and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters – Philosophical Sciences, on 2 December.

With the triumph of the Military Dictatorship in 1926, he was elected by the Faculty Board to represent it in the High Public Education Council. Here he fought against the threats of closing down the Faculty of Arts but to no avail. The Faculty would close by Decree 15 365, of 12 April 1928. He remained in office in this institution until 31 October 1930. A scholarship from the National Education Board allowed him to travel to Paris, where he specialized in Experimental Psychology.

Returning to Portugal as attaché, he continued his studies and research work until he was placed as Interim Teacher in Passos Manuel High School, in Lisbon, in November 1933. Despite his culture and intelligence, he was removed from official teaching posts because of his political ideals and ended up teaching in private schools in Lisbon, where he would die on 17 August 1944.
(Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2008)