Fotobiografia de José Mariano da Rocha Filho: santa-mariense e gaúcho do século XX

Abstract

This dissertation presents the photobiography of José Mariano da Rocha Filho, founding rector of Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), pioneer in Brazil since it is the first higher education institution built in a country city. The main goal is recovering part of the Santa Maria citizen of the century life story, the gaucho of the century, the man who participated actively in the city life, bringing to it international attention in the educational area. The methodology is an extended photobiography as a visual narrative consisting of images and explanatory texts which depict and record the life story of José Mariano da Rocha Filho. This information was collected from the private collection of him and the collection of the General Archives Department of UFSM. The chapters are going to describe: the character José Mariano da Rocha Filho, working the genealogy, his birth on February 12th 1915, childhood, youth, memories, student activity, education, marriage with Maria Zulmira Velho Dias, the formation of his family; The struggle for the student movement leadership due to the settlement of a public university away from the capitals; describing his trajectory as a professor and director of the Faculties of Pharmacy and Medicine, the annexation to University of Rio Grande do Sul, the creation of Santa Maria Higher Education Association to the settlement movement higher education courses in the city; Founder of the First Federal University in Brasil located in the country, covering the creation of Federal University of Santa Maria, from the innovative proposal of the New University to the implementation of New University of Americas. From this character approach is possible to understand the relation between the public and private man, we also tried to perceive how the basis of his solid personality were established, his perseverance, the pride of his roots, the love for his home land, his fight for the education, forming cultural heritage legated by José Mariano da Rocha Filho. The iconographic records describe highlighting facts, identify leaderships, intellectuality, emotionalism, and are source of useful stories to comprehend the contemporary scene from the campus José Mariano da Rocha Filho.