San Marcos, << sahn MAHR kohs, >> Major National University of, in Lima, Peru, is the oldest university in South America. The school was founded in 1551 by King Charles I of Spain. Dominican friars supervised the university until 1571. During the 1600’s and 1700’s, the university was noted for its schools of law and medicine. The university was closed during the early 1800’s and reopened in 1861. It became a government-supported institute in 1874.
