Elmira Minita Gordon

Dame Elmira Minita Gordon GCMG GCVO JP (born 30 December 1930) was the first Governor General of Belize from its independence in 1981-93.^[1] Gordon is to date the only woman to have served as Governor General of Belize. She was also the first trained Belizean psychologist having received both a Masters and Doctorate Degree in psychology.

Biography

Elmira Minita Gordon was born 30 December 1930 in Belize City, British Honduras.^[2] She grew up in Belize City and attended St. John's Girls' School and then St. Mary's Primary. She continued her education at St. George's Teacher's College ^[3] and furthered her studies through a correspondence course from the College of Preceptors, Oxford, England. She began teaching as an Anglican school teacher and missionary throughout Belize between 1946 and 1958. From 1959 to 1969 Dame Minita was a lecturer at the Belize Teacher's Training College,^[4] after which she became a Government Education Officer, serving from 1969 to 1981.^[2]

Gordon completed her postgraduate education at the University of Nottingham and University of Birmingham in England and the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.^[3] Between 1977 and 1980, Gordon was in Canada where she served on the Educational Psychology Programme Planning Committee and was a member of the Toronto Leather Craft Club. She earned her Masters Degree in Educational Psychology and then a Doctorate in Applied Psychology from the University of Toronto, Canada,^[4] becoming the first trained Belizean psychologist.

She returned from her studies in 1980^[3] and in 1981 was appointed Governor General of Belize.^[5] She succeeded James P. I. Hennessy, last Governor General of British Honduras, and became the first Governor General of Belize upon Belizean's gaining their Independence.^[6]

Gordon was the first woman to be appointed as Governor General, or the queen's representative, of a Commonwealth realm.^[7] She was promoted to both Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG)^[8] and Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (DCVO).^[9]

Dame Minita was a member of the girl guides from 1946^[3] and in 1970 became the District Commissioner of the Girl Guides for the Belize district.^[4] She became a Justice of the Peace in 1974^[3] and a senior Justice of the Peace in 1987.^[2] Gordon received a lifetime membership of the British Red Cross in 1975^[3] and in the Belizean Red Cross in 1981. In addition to her public works, Gordon was a master leather crafts artisan having won numerous prizes for her works.^[2]

References

Sources

• Lentz, Harris M. (2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-26490-2. 
• Sleeman, Elizabeth (2001). The International Who's Who of Women 2002. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-1-85743-122-3.