La física y la formación de los ingenieros mexicanos que colaboraron en el magno proyecto hidroeléctrico de Necaxa

Abstract

The advances achieved in electricity and magnetism during the XVIII and XIX centuries, prompted a series of applications that transformed not only the productive sectors, but also the people's lives in the whole world. The generation of electric power, in particular, made possible the construction of the first hidroelectric plants in the world by the end of the XIX century. In Mexico, the project of the hidroelectric complex of Necaxa became one of the most important in Latin America during the first years of the XX century. This project comprised both foreign and Mexican engineers. The former were contracted by a Canadian company in charge of the project: The Mexican Light and Power Company, Limited, which also came to hire a small number of Mexican engineers, but assigning to them secondary technical positions. Most of the Mexican engineers worked for the Mexican government --in the Secretariat of Development, Colonization, and Industry of the Mexican Republic-, like inspector engineers in charge of evaluating projects, supervising works, guarantying security to the population, and watching the strict and entire fulfillment of all the concessions granted by the Federal Government for these kind of works. Herein, the education of the Mexican engineers that collaborated in the hydroelectric project of Necaxa will be analyzed, with the objective to assess the importance of Physics courses in their professional development and in the basis for their functions as inspector engineers.