Dame Miraka "Mira" Szászy, née Petricevich, DBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

, QSM, JP

Justice of the Peace

A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...

 (7 August 1921 – 20 December 2001) was a prominent Māori leader. She was the first Māori woman to graduate with a degree from the University of Auckland

University of Auckland

The University of Auckland is a university located in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest university in the country and the highest ranked in the 2011 QS World University Rankings, having been ranked worldwide...

 - BA

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

, Dip SocSci

Diploma

A diploma is a certificate or deed issued by an educational institution, such as a university, that testifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study or confers an academic degree. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Australia, the word diploma refers to...

. She was a former President of the Māori Women's Welfare League

Māori Women's Welfare League

The Māori Women’s Welfare League or Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora is a New Zealand welfare organisation focusing on Māori women and children...

.

She made significant contributions in education, broadcasting, social welfare and small business development. In 1993 she received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Victoria University of Wellington

Victoria University of Wellington

Victoria University of Wellington was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a former constituent college of the University of New Zealand. It is particularly well known for its programmes in law, the humanities, and some scientific disciplines, but offers a broad range of other courses...

 in recognition of her contribution to the nation.

Personal life

She was born in Waihopo, Northland, in 1921. She married Albert Szaszy in 1956; they had two sons, Philip and Mark. She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1990.

Legacy

The Mira Szászy Research Centre was established by the University of Auckland Business School in 1998 in honour of the late Dame Mira’s achievements, and is New Zealand's first dedicated Māori and Pacific research facility in business and economics.

External links

• http://www.maoritelevision.com/latestnews/waka_huia_dame_mira_szaszi.htm
• http://www.beehive.govt.nz/ViewDocument.aspx?DocumentID=12744
• http://www.mira.auckland.ac.nz/
• http://www.business.auckland.ac.nz/comwebContent/1/8/37/181/3873.html