Carlos E. Chardón

Dr. Carlos Eugenio Chardón, D.Sc., D.Litt (September 28, 1897 - March 7, 1965) a.k.a. the "Father of Mycology in Puerto Rico" is the first Puerto Rican mycologist. In 1922, he discovered the aphid "Aphis maidis", the vector of the mosaic of sugar cane. He was also the first Puerto Rican to hold the position of Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico.

Early years

Chardón (birth name: Carlos Eugenio Chardón Palacios) was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico to Carlos Felix Chardón and Isabel Palacios Pelletier. His great-grandfather, Juan Bautista Chardón, native of Champagne, France, immigrated to Puerto Rico from Louisiana in 1816, encouraged by the Royal Decree of Graces issued by the Spanish Crown. The Royal Decree of Graces (Real Cedula de Gracias) fostered the immigration of Catholics of non- Hispanic origin to the Caribbean Colonies in the New World. Archivo General de Puerto Rico: DocumentosRetrieved August 3, 2007 Chardón received his primary and secondary education in his hometown and in 1915, he began his studies in agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Mechanical Arts in Mayagüez (later renamed the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez. Mayagüez was struck by an earthquake in 1918 which almost completely destroyed the university and therefore Chardón was forced to continue his education towards a B.A. degree in Cornell University. MYCOLOGICAL NEWS He earned his B.A. degree in 1919 and continued towards his Masters. He devoted himself to phytopathology and mycology and studied diseases of sugar cane under the supervision of Professor Herbert H. Whetzel. Mycologia Chardón, who earned his degree in 1921 and thus becoming the first Puerto Rican mycologist, returned to Puerto Rico and began a career in the fields of taxonomy of fungi, phytopathology and agricultural development.

First Puerto Rican mycologist

Chardón worked as a Phytopathologist in the Agricultural Experimental Station in Río Piedras, where in 1922 he discovered the vector of the mosaic of sugar cane, the aphid Aphis maidis. His findings were published in the journal of Phytopathology. Chardón was appointed Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor, by the United States appointed governor Horace E. Towner. As commissioner he continued his studies of the diseases of tobacco and sugar cane. Chardón traveled to Colombia where in 1926 he reorganized the School of Agriculture of Medellín. He also traveled to Venezuela, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic. In 1929 he returned to Colombia and established the Experimental Station of Palmira. He resigned from his position as Commissioner of Agriculture and Labor in 1931, same year in which he became the first Puerto Rican to hold the position of Chancellor of the University of Puerto Rico. In 1932 Chardón made a trip to Venezuela and collected plants and fungi from the Andes. In 1936, Chardón was involved in the organization of the Puerto Rico Reconstruction Administration (PRRA) and initiated a project known as the Plan Chardón which involved a plan for the development of Agriculture Technicians. Chardón resigned from his positions in PRRA and the University of Puerto Rico because of his disagreements with the Government of Puerto Rico. Chardón departed from Puerto Rico and helped in the agricultural and economic development of several countries in the Antilles (Dominican Republic) , South America (Colombia) and Asia, where he collaborated with the government of Iran. He returned to Puerto Rico and held the position of director of the Land Authority(1940) and the Tropical Agricultural Institute in Mayagüez (1942).

Honors

In 1932 the Venezuelan government gave Chardón the Liberator Cross and the Medal of Honor in Public Instruction.
In 1935 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
In 1953 he received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Puerto Rico in Río Piedras.

Written works

Chardón published the following books in regard to his scientific work:

"Mycological Explorations of Colombia" (1930)
"Mycological Explorations of Venezuela" (1934)
"Viajes y Naturaleza" (1941), where he described his trips in America and the contributions of Latin American scientists.
The first, second and third volume of "Los Naturalistas en América Latina" (1949).

Legacy

Chardón was in the process of publishing the forth and fifth volumes of "Los Naturalistas en América Latina" when he died on March 7, 1965, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. His son, doctor Carlos Chardón served as Puerto Rico's Secretary of Education in 1977 and 2009. Puerto Rico The Puerto Rican Mycological Society has honored the memory of Chardón with the "Carlos E. Chardón Lecture" offered every year during the Annual Symposium of Mycology. the Government of Puerto Rico also honored his memory by naming an avenue after him in Hato Rey, San Juan. The general studies building at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez Campus is named "Carlos E. Chardón" in his honorhttp://oiip.uprm.edu/building.php?id=3&lang=2.

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