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This paper addresses the public intervention on behalf of geology and geologists made by members of the geological community in Portugal, from the 1940s through the 1960s, when the country was living under a dictatorship known as the Estado Novo. Three men stood out during this intervention: Mendes Correia (1888-1960), Carrington da Costa (1891-1982) and Carlos Teixeira (1910-1982). The content and form of their oral and written discourses, their intended audiences, and their scientific and institutional career paths are analyzed. One of the main themes of the discourses was the vindication of a professional space for geology in Portuguese society, a circumstance that led to a confrontation with a widely acknowledged techno-scientific professional group: engineers. This paper demonstrates that the public intervention in favor of geology and geologists was part of a broader process of the Portuguese geological community asserting its scientific and social importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice and methods of geological fieldwork in the Portuguese Geological Survey evolved during the middle part of the twentieth century. Between the 1920s and the 1940s, the Survey's field assistants played a key role in conducting geological fieldwork; special attention will be given to their training. In 1940, Georges Zbyzsewski (1909-1999) was hired as a geologist by the Survey and he was responsible for conducting the majority of fieldwork. Scientific collaborators from outside the Survey also began to play a key role in the institution. From the 1950s onwards, several new specialities were hired by the Survey, especially geologists and field assistants. The pace of geological fieldwork recorded an unprecedented increase. The characteristics of the teams that carried out this task in the Survey were instrumental in this achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the development of Portuguese geology during the 19th and 20th centuries. Particular focus is given to the work and lives of engineers Joaquim Filipe Nery da Encarnação Delgado and Francisco Luís Pereira de Sousa and geologist Carlos Teixeira. According to the authors, the lives of these scientists illuminate the historical development of their field as well as its cultural and social context. Details on the history of the Portuguese Geological Survey (PGS) and the country's Ministry of Public Works, Trade and Industry (MPW) are presented. Topics discussed include the Portuguese social elite and the political aspects of building a career in the sciences.