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U.Porto Memory

University of Porto Famous Alumni

Luís de Albuquerque Couto dos Santos

Luís de Albuquerque Couto dos Santos 1896-? Engineer, high-courier and university teacher

Luís de Albuquerque Couto do Santos was born in Porto in 1896, to an illustrious family from Porto and he represents the third generation of higher education teachers, being the son of Luís Couto dos Santos (1872-1912), a teacher of electrical engineering in the Technical Faculty and in the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, and of Laura Eulália de Azevedo e Albuquerque Couto dos Santos, and the grandson of Joaquim de Azevedo Albuquerque (1839-1912), a Professor of Rational and Kinematic Mechanics at the Polytechnic Academy of Porto.

He took his secondary studies in Boavista College between 1908 and 1913 and he started to study engineering in Brussels. However, the outbreak of the First World War forced him to return to his country in 1914.

Once again in Porto, he attended the preparatory course for Civil Engineering in the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto, finishing it in 1917. Afterwards, he enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering of the same University, graduating in 1920, with a grade of 17 out of 20.

During his studies he obtained a grade of 17 in Geometria Descritiva e Estereotomia, Desenho Rigoroso (1914-1915); Física dos Sólidos e dos Fluídos, Acústica, ótica e calor, Desenho Topográfico and Desenho de Máquinas (1915-1916); a grade of 19 in Eletricidade and a grade of 18 in Desenho de Máquinas II (1916-1917).

While still a student, he was the 2^nd assistant of Physics in the Faculty of Sciences, between October 1918 and the end of 1920, and a Professor of Drawing due to the fact that Professor Paulo Ferreira was unable to teach during the school year of 1919-1920.

Between October 1920 and 1929 he was the 2nd assistant of the Electrical Engineering group, having been subject to public examination for the position of assistant Professor in the same group. Since 1923, he was responsible for teaching the subject "Electrical Units". Within this context he organized and inaugurated the Electrotechnical Laboratory and he published the compendiums "Trabalhos Práticos de Medidas Elétricas" ["Practical Works of Electrical Units"] (1923) and "Lições de Medidas Elétricas" ["Lessons of Electrical Units"] (1924).

Between 1929 and July 1932, Luís de Albuquerque Couto dos Santos was Head Officer of João Antunes Guimarães, Minister of Trade and Communications, he headed the Workshops of the Railroad Tracks Company of Porto, was the Engineer-inspector of the Works of Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Porto, secretary of the Association of Civil Engineers of Northern Portugal and, since 1932, commissar of the government within the joint companies of Lisbon Gas and Electricity.

Between 1933 and 1965 he took the position of General Administrator of the Post-Office, Telegraphs and Telephones, associating, during Estado Novo, with the renovation in the communications area – widening of the telephone network, creation of new stations and services, such as the National Broadcasting service and the foundation of the Institute of Social Works of the CTT. As part of his duties, he received the title of high-courier reinstated by the reform of 1947. Friends with the poet Pedro Homem de Mello, of whom he was a guest on several occasions, the Engineer Luís de Albuquerque Couto dos Santos committed to the divulgence of Portuguese dances ("Conheça as suas danças") ["Know your dances"]) through CTT postcards.

Luís de Albuquerque Couto dos Santos was also a member of the Higher Council of Public Works and of the National Board of Education.
He was distinguished with the Order of the Crown of Italy and with the Order of Isabel the Catholic of Spain, as well as with the good services medal of the Portuguese Legion.

The date of his death is unknown.
(Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2011)