Esteban Campodónico

Early life and education Stefano Campodonico was born in Chiavari, Italy, on August 2, 1866, to Michele Campodonico, an Italian businessman, and Angela Figallo. He was the eldest of their nine children, and the only son. When he was 13, the family emigrated to Peru, settling in Lima. His Italian given name of Stefano was adapted to Spanish as Esteban, and an accent was placed on his surname according to Spanish orthography. In 1880 he enrolled in the Seminary of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo to complete his primary and secondary education.

Medical and teaching career Campodónico opened a private practice in 1895, where he continued to see patients for some forty years, till near the end of his life. In 1898, he began working in the ophthalmology department of the Italian Hospital Victor Emmanuel II in Lima, and became director of the hospital in 1906. He also taught in the School of Medicine of the University of San Marcos, becoming an adjunct professor in 1916. He was promoted to professor of the newly created department of radiology in 1923, and continued as a professor at the university until 1930. and Ernesto Raffo, who became an otolaryngologist. He wrote a textbook Radiología Clínica (Clinical Radiology), which appeared in 1923. He was a member of the American College of Surgeons.

Philanthropy Throughout his life, Campodónico displayed a serious commitment to public service. According to his great niece, already during the Peruvian civil war of 1894–1895, Campodónico and his fellow medical students, as volunteers, attended to the wounded on both sides of the conflict.

Honors and awards In 1909 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy, reaching the grade of Commander in 1922; in 1928 he was appointed by Pope Pius XI to the Order of St. Gregory the Great; and in 1932 he was appointed Knight of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus for his contribution to Ophthalmology and Radiology.

Final years and legacy Campodónico participated in various businesses and investments with his relatives in Peru, and became quite wealthy. He had no children, but most of his sisters were married and had children. In August 1937 he established in his will that his assets would be left to his relatives, except for a trust fund deposited at what was then City Bank Farmers Trust Company of New York (now Citibank). This trust fund would be used to award a series of annual prizes for contributions to the advancement of Peruvian society. However, a complication intervened that would lead to a delay of more than five decades in the establishment of the prize. Later that year, he traveled to the United States, and while there (although a lifelong bachelor up to that point), on June 30, 1938 he married Ethel C. Graff, It is not known how they met, but his family members speculate that they met when both were traveling, and kept up a correspondence by letter for several years prior to their engagement.