Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny

Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny
Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny and her husband Félix Houphouët-Boigny in 1962, at a White House reception with the Kennedys
First Lady of Ivory Coast
In role 1962 – December 7, 1993
President	Félix Houphouët-Boigny
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Henriette Konan Bédié
Personal details
Born	Marie-Thérèse Brou 1930 near Abidjan, Ivory Coast, French West Africa
Political party	Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire
Spouse(s)	Félix Houphouët-Boigny (1962–1993; his death)

Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny (born 1930) was the First Lady of Ivory Coast from 1960 to 1993. Her husband was Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the first President of Côte d'Ivoire.

She was born Marie-Thérèse Brou in 1930 in a suburb of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, French West Africa. 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. While living in France, she met and married her husband, Félix Houphouët-Boigny, when she was 21-years old. Houphouët-Boigny was more than 25 years older than her.

Houphouët-Boigny caught the eye of the media during 1962 visit to the Kennedy White House, and was dubbed "Africa's Jackie" by a starstruck media.

In 1987, First Lady Houphouët-Boigny, she 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. In 1990, she helped create and produce a cartoon, Kimboo, to offer cartoon heroes to African children.

Félix and Marie-Thérèse did not have any biological children, but adopted three children together.