Manuel Sadosky
Encyclopedia
Manuel Sadosky was an Argentine
mathematician, born in Buenos Aires
to Jewish Russian
immigrants fleeing the pogrom
s. He is widely considered the father of computer science
studies in Argentina.
Son of a shoemaker, Sadosky studied at the Mariano Acosta teachers school. Noted novelist Julio Cortázar
was his classmate there, and remained a longtime friend. Since his childhood he was an ardent supporter of San Lorenzo de Almagro.
Sadosky graduated as a Doctor in Physics and Mathematics at the University of Buenos Aires
in 1940. He then moved to the Henri Poincaré
Institute in Paris
to pursue postdoctoral studies on a scholarship granted by the French Government. After another year in Italy
, he returned to Argentina, where he faced complicated employment options because of his opposition to the Peronist
regime.
After the coup d'état
of 1955 removed Perón, he took up a position as professor at the University of Buenos Aires, where he was vice-dean of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences from 1957 to 1966.
In 1960 he was commissioned to develop the Computational Institute (Instituto de Cálculo) of the university, home of Clementina, the first Argentine computer for research and education. He directed the institute until a coup d'état installed a military dictatorship in 1966, when he resigned in opposition to government intervention in the hitherto autonomous state universities (the Night of the Big Sticks
). He moved to Uruguay
, finding employment in Montevideo
at the Universidad de la República, where he helped to start computer studies and to introduce the first research computer in the country.
He was later able to return to Argentina, but the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance death squad
threatened to kill him and he fled with his family in 1974, working in Uruguay and Venezuela
. With the return of democracy to Argentina in 1983, president Raúl Alfonsín
appointed him as Secretary of State of Science and Technology (until 1989).
One of his major contributions to computer science during this period, was the creation of the ESLAI (Latin American School of Higher Informatics
).
Sadosky was named an Illustrious Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires (Ley 1095, 2003-10-02 http://www.legislatura.gov.ar/1distinciones/ilustres.php3).
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
mathematician, born in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
to Jewish Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
immigrants fleeing the pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
s. He is widely considered the father of computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
studies in Argentina.
Son of a shoemaker, Sadosky studied at the Mariano Acosta teachers school. Noted novelist Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar
Julio Cortázar, born Jules Florencio Cortázar, was an Argentine writer. Cortázar, known as one of the founders of the Latin American Boom, influenced an entire generation of Spanish speaking readers and writers in the Americas and Europe.-Early life:Cortázar's parents, Julio José Cortázar and...
was his classmate there, and remained a longtime friend. Since his childhood he was an ardent supporter of San Lorenzo de Almagro.
Sadosky graduated as a Doctor in Physics and Mathematics at the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
in 1940. He then moved to the Henri Poincaré
Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, engineer, and a philosopher of science...
Institute in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
to pursue postdoctoral studies on a scholarship granted by the French Government. After another year in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, he returned to Argentina, where he faced complicated employment options because of his opposition to the Peronist
Peronism
Peronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the programmes associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón...
regime.
After the coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 1955 removed Perón, he took up a position as professor at the University of Buenos Aires, where he was vice-dean of the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences from 1957 to 1966.
In 1960 he was commissioned to develop the Computational Institute (Instituto de Cálculo) of the university, home of Clementina, the first Argentine computer for research and education. He directed the institute until a coup d'état installed a military dictatorship in 1966, when he resigned in opposition to government intervention in the hitherto autonomous state universities (the Night of the Big Sticks
La Noche de los Bastones Largos
La Noche de los Bastones Largos was the violent dislodge of five faculties of the University of Buenos Aires in Argentina on July 29, 1966 by the Federal Police...
). He moved to Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, finding employment in Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
at the Universidad de la República, where he helped to start computer studies and to introduce the first research computer in the country.
He was later able to return to Argentina, but the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance death squad
Death squad
A death squad is an armed military, police, insurgent, or terrorist squad that conducts extrajudicial killings, assassinations, and forced disappearances of persons as part of a war, insurgency or terror campaign...
threatened to kill him and he fled with his family in 1974, working in Uruguay and Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. With the return of democracy to Argentina in 1983, president Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
appointed him as Secretary of State of Science and Technology (until 1989).
One of his major contributions to computer science during this period, was the creation of the ESLAI (Latin American School of Higher Informatics
Escuela Superior Latinoamericana de Informática
The Escuela Superior Latinoamericana de Informática was an undergraduate school of computer science in Argentina, located at approximately 40 km. from Buenos Aires. Classes were held in a former countryhouse at the Parque Pereyra Iraola.The School had Manuel Sadosky among its main founders...
).
Sadosky was named an Illustrious Citizen of the City of Buenos Aires (Ley 1095, 2003-10-02 http://www.legislatura.gov.ar/1distinciones/ilustres.php3).
External links
- Obituary Pagina/12Página/12Página/12 is a newspaper based in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Página/12 was founded on May 25, 1987, by journalist Jorge Lanata in association with writer Osvaldo Soriano and investigative journalist Horacio Verbitsky...
- Obituary ClarínClarín (newspaper)Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
- Secretaria de Ciencia y Tecnica