Elmira Minita Gordon facts for kids

Dame Elmira Minita Gordon (born 30 December 1930 – died 1 January 2021) was an important person from Belize. She was a teacher, a psychologist, and a politician. She made history by becoming the first Governor-General of Belize when the country became independent in 1981. She served in this role until 1993.

Dame Minita Gordon was also the first Belizean to earn a special degree called a doctorate in psychology. She was one of the few women to be called a "double dame." This means she received high honours from two different royal orders: the Order of St Michael and St George and the Royal Victorian Order. She was also the first woman in the entire Commonwealth to serve as a Governor-General.

About Dame Minita Gordon

Elmira Minita Gordon was born on 30 December 1930 in Belize City, which was then called British Honduras. Her parents, Frederick Gordon and May Dakers, had moved to Belize from Jamaica in the 1920s. She had five brothers and sisters.

Early Life and Education

Minita grew up in Belize City. She went to St. John's Girls' School and St. Mary's Primary School. From 1946, she was a member of the Girl Guides, which is like the Girl Scouts. Later, in 1970, she became the main leader for the Girl Guides in the Belize district.

She continued her studies at St. George's Teachers' College. She also took a special course by mail from the College of Preceptors in Oxford, England.

Career in Education

After finishing her studies, she started teaching at an Anglican school. She also worked as a missionary across Belize from 1946 to 1958. From 1959 to 1969, she taught at the Belize Teachers' Training College. Then, from 1969 to 1981, she worked for the government as an Education Officer.

Becoming a Psychologist

Dame Minita Gordon studied at the University of Calgary in Canada. She earned a Bachelor of Education degree in 1967 and a Master of Education degree in 1969. She focused on educational psychology, which is about how people learn.

She continued her advanced studies in England at the University of Nottingham and the University of Birmingham. Between 1977 and 1980, while in Canada, she helped plan programs for educational psychology. She also joined a leather craft club. In 1980, she earned her PhD in applied psychology from the University of Toronto. This made her the first trained psychologist from Belize.

Governor-General of Belize

After finishing her studies, she returned to Belize. In 1981, Belize became an independent country. That same year, Minita Gordon was chosen to be the first Governor-General of Belize. She took over from James P. I. Hennessy, who was the last Governor of Belize under British rule.

As Governor-General, she represented the Queen of England in Belize. She held this important position until 1993.

Other Contributions and Hobbies

Dame Minita Gordon also became a justice of the peace in 1974. This role helps keep peace and order in the community. She became a senior Justice of the Peace in 1987.

She received a lifetime membership in the British Red Cross in 1975 and in the Belizean Red Cross in 1981. Besides her public work, she was a very skilled leather craft artist. She won many awards for her beautiful leather creations.

Later Life and Passing

Dame Minita Gordon stepped down as Governor-General in 1993. Colville Young took her place. In her later years, her health declined. In 2016, she moved to the United States to live with her sister. She passed away on 1 January 2021, in Inglewood, California. She died just two days after her 90th birthday.

Honours and Awards

Dame Minita Gordon received many special honours for her service:

• In 1984, she received an honorary law degree (LL.D.) from the University of Victoria.
• 

  Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George ribbon
  In 1984, she was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George. This is a very high honour from the United Kingdom.
• 

  Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order ribbon
  In 1985, she was made a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. This is another high honour given by the British monarch.

Sources

• Lentz, Harris M. (2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-26490-2. https://books.google.com/books?id=D6HKAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA84.
• Sleeman, Elizabeth (2001). The International Who's Who of Women 2002. Psychology Press. ISBN 978-1-85743-122-3. https://books.google.com/books?id=6J8xDWDqOkEC&pg=PA212.

See also

In Spanish: Elmira Minita Gordon para niños