Honorific-Prefix: | His Excellency |
Sir Anthony Mamo | |
Honorific-Suffix: | KUOM OBE QC |
Office1: | 1st President of Malta |
Term Start1: | 13 December 1974 |
Term End1: | 27 December 1976 |
Primeminister1: | Dom Mintoff |
Predecessor1: | Elizabeth II as Queen of Malta |
Successor1: | Anton Buttigieg |
Office2: | 2nd Governor General of Malta |
Term Start2: | 22 June 1971 |
Term End2: | 13 December 1974 |
Monarch2: | Elizabeth II |
Primeminister2: | Dom Mintoff |
Predecessor2: | Maurice Dorman |
Successor2: | Position abolished (Himself as President of Malta) |
Office3: | Chief Justice of Malta |
Term Start3: | 1957 |
Term End3: | 1971 |
Predecessor3: | Luigi Camilleri |
Successor3: | John Cremona |
Birth Date: | 9 January 1909 |
Birth Place: | Birkirkara, Malta |
Death Place: | Mosta, Malta |
Alma Mater: | University of Malta |
Party: | Independent |
Children: | 3 |
Sir Anthony Joseph Mamo, (9 January 1909 - 1 May 2008) was the first president of Malta and previously served as the last Governor-General of the State of Malta 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.
Mamo was born in the town of Birkirkara, the son of Joseph Mamo and Carla Brincat. He was educated at the University of Malta where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1931 and a 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.[1] He was in private practice a year before joining the civil service. He served as Crown Counsel from 1942 and later became attorney general.[2]
In the meantime the Second World War broke out and, although the commission's work was carried on, Sir Anthony, 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 on 27 December 1976. He was given knighthood 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.[3] [2] An oncology center in Mater Dei Hospital was christened under his name as the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre[4]