First Paragraph
At the beginning of the 20th Century there was a splendid resurgence of Spanish art and science. From the pessimism of the end of Empire sprang a new class of intellectuals dedicated to bringing Spain to a modern era of science and knowledge. Don Odón de Buen epitomized them. More than a usual scientist, he was a teacher and visionary, who, almost single-handedly, brought oceanography to Spain and promoted it on a European and international scale. Unfortunately the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) severed that effort and condemned him to exile and oblivion. This article pays a deserved tribute to the status and achievements of this pioneer of oceanography in Spain.