Mavis Gwendolyn Gilmour-Petersen, OJ, CD (born April 13, 1926) is a Jamaican medical practitioner and politician, representing the

Jamaica Labour Party The Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is one of the two major political parties in Jamaica, the other being the People's National Party (PNP). While its name might suggest that it is a social democratic party (as is the case for "Labour" parties in seve ...

(JLP). She served as minister of education from 1980 to 1986.

Early life and education

Gilmour-Petersen was born on April 13, 1926, in St Elizabeth. She is the daughter of Isaac and Adelaide Holness. Gilmour-Petersen attended Blake's Tutorial College;

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Medical career

Gilmour-Petersen graduated from

Howard University College of Medicine The Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) is an academic division of Howard University that grants the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Ph.D., M.S., and the M.PH. HUCM is located at the Howard University Health Sciences Center in Washington, D.C ...

in 1951. She then served at a number of hospitals in Jamaica and the

Cayman Islands The Cayman Islands () is a self-governing British Overseas Territory—the largest by population in the western Caribbean Sea. The territory comprises the three islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which are located to the ...

. In 1959 she embarked on her

Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, in ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

. Upon completion, she was appointed Consultant Surgeon at the

Kingston Public Hospital Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) is a public general hospital in Kingston, Jamaica. It is the oldest public hospital in Jamaica and is the main hospital in south eastern Jamaica. The hospital is operated by the South East Regional Health Authority ...

(KPH) and become the first woman surgeon in the Caribbean, serving the KPH from 1960 to 1976.

Political career

Gilmour-Petersen entered elective politics in 1976 and won the St. Andrew West Rural constituency which she held until 1989. As a member of Edward Seaga's Cabinet, she served as minister of education from 1980 to 1986 when she was replaced by

Neville Gallimore Neville Gallimore (born January 17, 1997) is a Canadian American football defensive tackle for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oklahoma. Early years Gallimore's parents were born and rai ...

. She then served as minister of social security and consumer affairs from 1986 to 1989.

Honours and awards

* Gilmour-Petersen was awarded the

Order of Distinction The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system. It is the sixth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament (''The National Honours and Awards Act'') i ...

, Commander Class in 2004. * She was awarded Jamaica’s fourth-highest honour, the

Order of Jamaica The Order of Jamaica is the fifth of the six orders in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and it is considered the equivalent of a knighthood in the British honours system. Membership in the Order can be conferred upon ...

, in 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmour, Mavis 1931 births People from Saint Elizabeth Parish Commanders of the Order of Distinction Government ministers of Jamaica Education Ministers of Jamaica Women government ministers of Jamaica Jamaica Labour Party politicians Members of the House of Representatives of Jamaica Howard University alumni Alumni of the University of Edinburgh Living people 20th-century Jamaican women politicians 20th-century Jamaican politicians

Early life and education

Medical career

Political career

Honours and awards

See also

References