Olayo Díaz Giménez (1810-1885): un buen ejemplo de científico «Intermedio»

Abstract

In this paper we offer a general view of the life and work of Olayo Diaz Giménez (1810-1885), especially during his stage in the city of Murcia, where he lived from 1862 to his death. The paper is divided into four sections. After providing a biographical account of Olayo Díaz, his work as a teacher is approached, with emphasis on his role in the creation of the Physics Cabinet at the Provincial Institute (Secondary School). The following section highlights his activity in promoting the science of his time through his collaborations in the local newspapers and his involvement in the introduction of evolutionism in Murcia. Finally, we look at his period in charge of the Meteorological Office, with emphasis on both his observations as his book on the weather of Murcia. As a result of our study, Olayo Diaz appears as one of the key-scientists in the Murcia of the XIXth century, and as a typical representative of so-called «intermediate scientists», or those that, without possessing an outstanding work of their own, collaborated decisively to create and maintain the necessary conditions to promote scientific activity in Spain.