Dr. Lucille Mathurin Mair, the little girl who attended Wolmer’s High School for Girls was one of Jamaica’s most distinguished daughters.

She was a trailblazer with a series of firsts in both her academic and professional careers, local and international. And she was devoted to improving the conditions of women both in Jamaica and internationally.

She was the first woman to write on the history of Jamaican women. She was the first female warden of Mary Seacole Hall on the Mona Campus of the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. She was the first woman to be appointed Under Secretary-General in the United Nations (UN).

She also served as Secretary General of the World Conference on the United Nations Decade of Women in Denmark, as well as Adviser to the Secretary General on the UN’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Locally, she held many important positions. These included Executive Director of the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), Deputy Head of Jamaica’s Mission to the UN, Ambassador to Cuba and as a Senator.

She received many awards for her outstanding contributions to her country and the world. In summing up her extraordinary life, she was praised “as a trailblazer…whose service and commitment will long be remembered. “

“She combined grace, charm, wit, steely determination, independence and open-mindedness.”

Trailblazer – Someone who goes where no one has gone before.

United Nations Decade For Women: 1975-1985 was declared the United Nations Decade For Women. During this ten-year period, all member countries were expected to remove all forms of discrimination against women.

A biography on Dr. Lucille Mathurin Mair was written by Verene Shepherd