Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny

Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny (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.

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 – December 7, 1993
PresidentFélix Houphouët-Boigny
Preceded byPosition created
Succeeded byHenriette Konan Bédié
Personal details
Born
Marie-Thérèse Brou

(1930-09-17) September 17, 1930
near Abidjan, Ivory Coast, French West Africa
Political partyDemocratic Party of Ivory Coast – African Democratic Rally
SpouseFélix Houphouët-Boigny (1952–1993; his death)

She was born Marie-Thérèse Brou 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 1990, she helped create and produce Kimboo, a cartoon 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. Barrow, William (July 1963). "Five Fabulous Females". Negro Digest. Retrieved 2016-03-17.
  3. Tilouine, Joan (2015-02-03). "Marie-Thérèse à la poursuite des millions disparus d'Houphouët-Boigny". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 2015-02-04. Retrieved 2023-08-14.
  4. "Reigning Beauties". Time. 1962-06-08. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-06.
  5. "Ebony update: Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny: First Lady of the Ivory Coast". Ebony. Johnson Publishing Company. XLV (8): 56, 58. June 1990. ISSN 0012-9011.
  6. "Histoire de la famille Boigny". Réseau Ivoire. Retrieved 2008-08-04.
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