ABSTRACT
The first centres of research in physics arose in the early part of the twentieth century; outstanding among them was the centre of excellence formed at the University of La Plata in Argentina under the direction of two German scientists, Emil Bose and Richard Gans, which made important contribu tions to the theory of physics. Some years later, other centres were set up. In Sao Paulo, another European emigrant, Gleb Wataghin, founded an important centre at the city’s university; and in Mexico Manuel Sandoval Vallarta made important advances in operational calculus while heading the Institute of Physics at the National Autonomous University (UNAM). Enrique Gaviola, a disciple of Gans, began to form a whole new generation of physicists in the 1930s at the Astronomical Observatory in Cordoba, Argentina; his interna tional reputation grew with a commendation from Einstein.
