History
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As a result of previous contacts by a series of persons from different places, ALAG was founded in July 03, 1969, in the Conference Room of the Clinical Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil, during the 15th National Congress of the Brazilian Society of Genetics. The assembly had representatives from Argentina, Brazil, México, Peru, and Uruguay. A Provisional Governing Board was elected with representatives from these countries and, in the absence of Chilean colleagues, Danko Brncic and Edmundo B. Covarrubias were also proposed as members. This Board indicated an Executive Provisional Commission composed by the Directory of the Brazilian Society of Genetics, headed at the time by O. Frota-Pessoa. ALAG’s First Congress was held in São Paulo, Brazil, in July 02-08, 1972, under the chairmanship of Bernardo Beiguelman, and the first formal Directory elected having Danko Brncic as President. The following Congresses occurred in the following places and dates: Second: México, November 10-16, 1974; Third: Uruguay, February 06-12, 1977; Fourth: Argentina, September 21-27, 1979; Fifth: Chile, October 25-31, 1981; Sixth: Venezuela, October 16-20, 1983; Seventh: Colombia, October 13-18, 1985; Eight: Cuba, October 13-16, 1987; Ninth: Peru, October 01-05, 1989; Tenth: Brazil, April 10-15, 1992; Eleventh: México, September 25-30, 1994; Twelfth: Brazil, September 03-06, 2006; Thirteenth: Peru, May 04-05, 2008. Our President of Honor is Francisco A. Saez (1898-1976), distinguished Uruguayan scholar, and the 12th Congress honored José M. Cantú, from México, former ALAG’s President, deceased in 2007. In the present era of increasing scientific consortia for the resolution of specific problems ALAG can be of vital importance for the recruitment of young gifted researchers, as a forum for discussion and interaction, and as a catalyst for the development of frontier research projects.

Francisco Salzano
Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul,
Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.