MEMOEIAL OF JOAQUIM CANDIDO DA COSTA SENA 17 



"The establishment by the Imperial Government of the national Escola cTe 

 Minas at Ouro Preto in 1875, and the opening of that school October 12, 1876, 

 was a step of the greatest importance, not only for engineering education' in 

 Brazil, but also for the advancement of the science of geology in the State and 

 throughout the w^hole country. Some of Brazil's ablest engineers and, with 

 but few exceptions, all of her geologists and mining engineers have been edu- 

 cated at that school." ^ 



Its first director was the distinguished French geologist, Dr. Henri 

 Gorceix, who held that position for sixteen years and started the school 

 on its brilliant career. Immediately upon graduation young Sena was 

 appointed instructor in mineralogy and geology in the School of Mines, 

 and in 1885 he was made professor of physics and chemistry in the same 

 institution, a position which he held Until 1891. In that year, Doctor 

 Gorceix retired as director of the school and Doctor Costa Sena succeeded 

 him, and held that office until his death, in 1919. 



In addition to his duties as professor and director of the School of 

 Mines, Doctor Sena was a member of the Constitutional Assembly of the 

 State of Minas, and from 1891 to 1902 he was a member of the State 

 Senate. In 1898 he was elected Vice-President of the State of Minas for 

 four years, and for some months he acted as governor of the State. In 

 1908-1909 he represented Brazil in the Pan-American Congress in Chile. 

 He was a public-spirited citizen as well as a mineralogist and an educator. 



His energies were devoted chiefiy to the development of the School of 

 Mines, and he succeeded in making it the most important institution for 

 the study of geology, mineralogy, and mining engineering in that coun- 

 try. It thus came about that his contributions were in the field of educa- 

 tional administration rather than, in scientific research, and it was in the 

 School of Mines that he rendered his greatest service to his country and 

 to science. 



His published papers are not numerous and consist chiefly of notes 

 upon the occurrence of minerals in the State of Minas Geraes. He was 

 more familiar with the minerals of the region about Ouro Preto than any 

 one else. 



Dr. Eugen Hussak named tlie mineral Scnaite in his honor. 



Bibliography 



1. Noticia sobre a mineralogia e geologia do uma parte do Norte e Nordesto 



da Provincia de Minas Geraes. Aniiaes da Escola de ]Minas de Ouro 

 Preto, 1883, no. 2, i)ages 111-131. 



2. Note sur la scorodite des environs d'Ouro I'rcto. Bui. Soc. Mineral, de 



France, VIT, 21S-220. Paris, 18S4. 



iBull. Geol. Soc. Am., vol. .30, p. 1(\?,. 



II — Bull. Geul. Soc. A.m., Vol. 32, 1020 



