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Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny | |
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Marie and her husband Félix Houphouët-Boigny at the White House attending a state dinner with U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his wife First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1962 | |
First Lady of Ivory Coast | |
In role 3 November 1960 – 7 December 1993 | |
President | Félix Houphouët-Boigny |
Preceded by | Position created |
Succeeded by | Henriette Konan Bédié |
Acting President of Ivory Coast | |
In role 3 November 1960 – 7 December 1993 | |
President | Félix Houphouët-Boigny |
Preceded by | Position created |
Succeeded by | Henriette Konan Bédié |
Personal details | |
Born | Marie-Thérèse Brou (1930-09-17) September 17, 1930 (age 94) near Abidjan, Ivory Coast, French West Africa |
Political party | Democratic Party of Ivory Coast – African Democratic Rally |
Spouse |
Félix Houphouët-Boigny
(m. 1952; died 1993) |
Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny (née Brou; born 17 September 1930) is the former First Lady of Ivory Coast. Her husband was Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the first President of Ivory Coast from 1962 to 1993.
She was born in 1930 in a suburb of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, French West Africa. She was one of her parents' six children. When Brou was 16 years old, she and nineteen other Ivorian girls were chosen to attend private school in France. While living in France, she met her husband, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, when she was 21 years old. Houphouët-Boigny was more than 25 years older than her. Brou and Houphouët-Boigny married in 1952, shortly after he divorced his first wife that same year.
Houphouët-Boigny caught the eye of the media during 1962 visit to the Kennedy White House, and was dubbed "Africa's Jackie" or 'Black Jackie Kennedy" by the media. In 1987, Houphouët-Boigny founded the N'Daya International Foundation, dedicated to improving the health, welfare, and education of children in Africa. As the Foundation's president, she led numerous projects in support of children. In 1989, she helped create and produce Kimboo, an animated series aired on BET, to offer cartoon heroes to African children.
Houphouët-Boigny was the first lady of the Ivory Coast for 33 years, until her husband's death in 1993. Félix and Marie-Thérèse did not have any biological children, but adopted three children together.
References
- Rezo Ivoire. "Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny" (in French). Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
- ^ Barrow, William (July 1963). "Five Fabulous Females". Negro Digest. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
- Tilouine, Joan (3 February 2015). "Marie-Thérèse à la poursuite des millions disparus d'Houphouët-Boigny". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- "Reigning Beauties". Time. 8 June 1962. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
- ^ "Ebony update: Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny: First Lady of the Ivory Coast". Ebony. XLV (8). Johnson Publishing Company: 56, 58. June 1990. ISSN 0012-9011.
- "Histoire de la famille Boigny". Réseau Ivoire. Retrieved 4 August 2008.
First ladies of Ivory Coast | ||
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