Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny

Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny
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
PresidentFélix Houphouët-Boigny
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byHenriette Konan Bédié
Personal details
Born
Marie-Thérèse Brou

(1930-09-17) September 17, 1930 (age 94)
near Abidjan, Ivory Coast, French West Africa
Political partyDemocratic Party of Ivory Coast – African Democratic Rally
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1952; died 1993)​

Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny (née Brou; born 17 September 1930)[1] 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.[2] 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.[2] While living in France, she met her husband, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, when she was 21 years old.[2] 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.[3]

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.[2][4] 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.[5] In 1989, she helped create and produce Kimboo, an animated series aired on BET, to offer cartoon heroes to African children.[5]

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.[6]

References

  1. ^ Rezo Ivoire. "Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny" (in French). Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Barrow, William (July 1963). "Five Fabulous Females". Negro Digest. Retrieved 17 March 2016.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Reigning Beauties". Time. 8 June 1962. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  5. ^ a b "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.
  6. ^ "Histoire de la famille Boigny". Réseau Ivoire. Retrieved 4 August 2008.