Antonio Garcia Tapia

Antonio Garcia Tapia attended the University of Madrid, where he received his doctorate in 1896. For the next three years he worked in a number of European universities studying otolaryngology. He joined the Spanish forces in 1898 and went to the Philippines to serve in the war against the Unites States of America. When his term of military duty was over he returned to Spain, married and commenced teaching and practising as an otolaryngologist in Madrid.

In 1912 he established the Dispensario de Oto-Rino-Laryngología at the Istituto Rubio. This institute, commonly called “The Villa Sur”, attracted students from both Spain and Latin America and became one of the most important institutes for ear, nose and throat specialists in the Spanish world.

Tapia became professor of otorhinolaryngology at his alma mater. He was a brilliant lecturer who appreciated the importance of health care in rural areas and established a foundation to enable special tuition for rural doctors called “Fundacion de Riraza”.