María Teresa del Canto

María Teresa del Canto Molina (18 January 1898 – 14 May 1987) was a Chilean teacher and politician. She was the country's second woman to become a minister of state, after Adriana Olguín.[1] She also served as mayor of Santiago from 1953 to 1957.

María Teresa del Canto
Mayor of Santiago
In office
19 June 1953 – 31 October 1957
Preceded byMamerto Figueroa Parot
Succeeded byFernando Gorroño Véliz
Minister of Education
In office
3 November 1952 – 1 April 1953
PresidentCarlos Ibáñez del Campo
Preceded byLuis David Cruz Ocampo
Succeeded byJuan Gómez Millas
Personal details
Born
María Teresa del Canto Molina

(1898-01-18)18 January 1898
Catemu, Chile
Died14 May 1987(1987-05-14) (aged 89)
Political partyWomen's Party
OccupationTeacher, politician

Biography

María Teresa del Canto was born in Catemu on 18 January 1898.[2] She began her education in San Felipe, attending a boy's school, as there were no girl's schools in the city at the time. After obtaining the title of English Teacher from the Pedagogical School of Santiago, she worked in that capacity in San Felipe, San Carlos, and Rengo, retiring in 1950.[3]

She was a member of the Women's Party of Chile, and was its national director of social affairs.[4]

On 3 November 1952, she took office as Minister of Education in the second government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo,[2] after the position was turned down by fellow Women's Party member María de la Cruz.[5] She was succeeded as minister by Juan Gómez Millas on 1 April 1953.

She was then appointed mayor of Santiago by President Ibáñez, a position she held from 19 June 1953 to 31 October 1957. In 1958 she became Superintendent of Education in the government of Jorge Alessandri.[6]

In 1954, María Teresa del Canto was awarded a medal by the mayor of Paris, and the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice by The Holy See.[3] She also received honors from the cities of Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Asunción.[3][7] She was awarded the Order of Merit of the World Board of Education in 1987, shortly before her death.[7] She was also named an Illustrious and Meritorious Daughter of Catemu.[8] In 1993 a school in her hometown was named in her honor.[8]

María Teresa del Canto died on 14 May 1987 at age 89.[3]

References
  1. Barnes, Tiffany D.; Jones, Mark P. (10 March 2011). "Latin America". In Bauer, Gretchen; Tremblay, Manon (eds.). Women in Executive Power: A Global Overview. Taylor & Francis. p. 112. ISBN 9781136819155. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Google Books.
  2. Las conquistadoras: diccionario biográfico de mujeres chilenas [The Conquerors: Biographical Dictionary of Chilean Women] (in Spanish). Bibliográfica Internacional. 2005. p. 76. ISBN 9789568090968. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Google Books.
  3. Gómez Lazcano, Carlos Felipe (2011). "Biografías de vecinos connotados o ilustres" [Biographies of Noted and Illustrious Neighbors]. Estudio y recopilación antecedentes históricos Comuna de Catemu a través de trescientos noventa y siete años (1613–2010) [Study and Collection of Historical Background of the Commune of Catemu Through Three Hundred and Ninety-Seven Years (1613-2010)] (in Spanish). Government of Chile, Municipality of Catemu. pp. 63–65. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Scribd.
  4. Hispano americano (in Spanish). Tiempo. 1952. p. 23. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Google Books.
  5. Baltra Montaner, Lidia (2006). Señora presidenta: mujeres que gobiernan países [Madam President: Women Who Govern Countries] (in Spanish). Editorial Mare Nostrum. p. 50. ISBN 9789568089122. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Google Books.
  6. Klimpel, Felicitas (1972). La Mujer Chilena [The Chilean Woman] (in Spanish). Andrés Bello. p. 233. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Google Books.
  7. "ANDIME saluda a su Ministra ¿Cuándo fue que perdimos el rumbo?" [ANDIME Greets its Minister. When Did We Lose Our Way?] (in Spanish). Asociación Nacional de Funcionarios del Ministerio de Educación. Archived from the original on 13 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  8. "Denomina Escuela Basica Maria Teresa del Canto Molina, a la Escuela Basica e N° 88, de las Maquinas, Comuna de Catemu" (in Spanish). Ministry of Education of Chile. 25 September 1993. Retrieved 12 July 2019 – via Library of Congress of Chile.
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