Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo, (9 January 1909 – 1 May 2008) was the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

president of Malta The president of Malta ( mt, President ta' Malta) is the constitutional head of state of Malta. The President is indirectly elected by the House of Representatives of Malta, which appoints the president for a five-year term and requires them to ...

and previously served as the last

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

of the

State of Malta The State of Malta ( mt, Stat ta’ Malta), commonly known as Malta, was the predecessor to the modern-day Republic of Malta. It existed between 21 September 1964 and 13 December 1974. The Crown Colony of Malta became independent under the Malt ...

before the country became a republic. He was also the first Maltese citizen to be appointed Governor-General, and before independence, briefly served as acting Governor.

Biography

Mamo was born in the town of

Birkirkara Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...

, the son of Joseph Mamo and Carla Brincat. He was educated at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

where he earned a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

in 1931 and his law degree in 1934. Sir Anthony had been in private practice as an advocate for just over a year when he made the Public Service his career. In October 1936, he was appointed member of the Commission which, under the chairmanship of Judge Harding, was entrusted with the task of preparing a Revised Edition of all the Laws of Malta. This task took six years to complete. He was in private practice a year before joining the civil service. He served as

Crown Counsel Crown counsel are lawyers, generally in Common Law jurisdictions, who provide advice to the government and acts as prosecutors in cases. In various jurisdictions their title can vary and they could also be known as the Queen's Advocate, King's Advo ...

from 1942 and later became attorney general.Sir Anthony Mamo: State funeral tomorrow
''

The Times of Malta The ''Times of Malta'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Malta. Founded in 1935, by Lord and Lady Strickland and Lord Strickland's daughter Mabel, it is the oldest daily newspaper still in circulation in Malta. It has the widest circu ...

'', 1 May 2008 In the meantime the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

broke out and, although the Commission's work was carried on. Sir Anthony as like so many others, gave his services for refugee work and the welfare of those hit by war. Mamo was never involved directly in politics. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Malta in 1957 where he served until 1971 when he was appointed as Governor-General, the first Maltese to hold that office, serving until 13 December 1974, when Malta was proclaimed a republic. He served as president from that date until he was succeeded by

Anton Buttigieg Anton Buttigieg, ( mt, Anton Buttiġieġ ; 19 February 1912 – 5 May 1983) was a Maltese political figure and poet. He served as the second president of Malta from 1976 until 1981. Early life Anton Buttigieg was born in Qala, Gozo, on 19 ...

on 27 December 1976. He was given knight-hood in 1959. Mamo was married to Lady Margaret (née Agius) from 1939 until her death in 2002. They had three children; Josephine (married to Victor E. Tortell), Monica (married to George Pisani) and John (married to Tessa née' Scicluna). Mamo died on 1 May 2008 at the age of 99, at Casa Arkati in

Mosta Mosta ( mt, Il-Mosta) is a small but densely populated city in the Northern Region of Malta. The most prominent building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large basilica built by its parishioners' volunteer labour. It features the world's 3rd largest ...

. An

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

center in

Mater Dei Hospital Mater Dei Hospital (MDH; mt, Sptar Mater Dei), also known simply as '' Mater Dei'', is an acute general and teaching hospital in Msida, Malta. It was opened in 2007, replacing St. Luke's Hospital. It is a public hospital affiliated to the Universi ...

was christened under his name as the ''Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre'' File:Nicca ta Santa Liena, Bka.jpg, The house were Anthony Mamo was born. A plaque commemorates this on the façade File:Monument of Sir Anthony Mamo in 2020.02.jpg, Memorial monument found at the back of

St Helen's Basilica St Helen's Basilica ( mt, Il-Bażilika ta' Sant' Elena) is an 18th-century Roman Catholic church situated in Birkirkara, Malta. It is built on the baroque design by Salvu Borg and built by Mason Domenico Cachia. The design was inspired, and is ...

Honours

* : Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit (06.04.90) ''by right as a former President of Malta'' *

Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire. The chief institutions of the organisation are the Co ...

: ** Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(1955), **

Knight Bachelor The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...

(1957)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mamo, Anthony 1909 births 2008 deaths Presidents of Malta Knights Bachelor Governors-General of Malta University of Malta alumni People from Birkirkara Chief justices of Malta 20th-century Maltese judges Companions of Honour of the National Order of Merit (Malta) Officers of the Order of the British Empire Maltese Queen's Counsel 20th-century King's Counsel Governors and Governors-General of Malta Maltese knights Crown Colony of Malta judges 20th-century Maltese politicians