Yvonne Clays Spoelders
Encyclopedia
Yvonne Clays Spoelders was the First Lady of Costa Rica
from 1940 to 1944 and the country's first female diplomat.
Clays was born on June 3, 1906 in Antwerp, Belgium
to her parents Jozef Clays and Maria-Catherine Spoelders. She studied in Belgium, France
, and Great Britain
. While on vacation at her family's beach house in Blankenberge
she met Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia
, then a young foreign student. She married the future Costa Rican president in Antwerp on July 28, 1927.
She was member and Secretary General of the Samaritan Ladies Society, an entity created by First Lady Julia Fernández Rodríguez (wife of President León Cortés Castro
) which was ultimately responsible for the creation of the Casa de la Madre y el Niño (House of the Mother and Child).
During her husband's administration she was actively involved in diverse social causes and in 1940 she achieved the reestablishment of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica
. She was the first president of the Orchestra's board of directors and remained so until 1947 without salary.
She acted as offfcial translator during President Calderón's 1940 meeting with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Clays later became Costa Rica's first female diplomat and was in charge of several missions in the United States. She had a long friendship with American Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles
and thanks to her mediation the 1942 signing of the Fernández-Pierson contract was possible, in which Costa Rica was granted a credit of up to . Clays' intervention also achieved the establishment of the Instituto Interamericano de Ciencias Agrícolas in Costa Rica in 1943, today known as the Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura.
Yvonne Clays Spoelders died in San José, Costa Rica
on February 11, 1994. At the time of her death she left her personal library to the University of Costa Rica
Faculty of Science.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
from 1940 to 1944 and the country's first female diplomat.
Clays was born on June 3, 1906 in Antwerp, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
to her parents Jozef Clays and Maria-Catherine Spoelders. She studied in Belgium, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. While on vacation at her family's beach house in Blankenberge
Blankenberge
Blankenberge is a town and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke.On 1 January 2010 Blankenberge had a total population of 18,907...
she met Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia
Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia
Rafael Ángel del Socorro Calderón Guardia was the president of Costa Rica from 1940 to 1944.-Early life:Calderón was born on 10 March 1900 in San José. In his youth, Calderón studied in Costa Rica and Belgium, where he married Yvonne Clays Spoelders, who was later to be the first female diplomat of...
, then a young foreign student. She married the future Costa Rican president in Antwerp on July 28, 1927.
She was member and Secretary General of the Samaritan Ladies Society, an entity created by First Lady Julia Fernández Rodríguez (wife of President León Cortés Castro
León Cortés Castro
-Biography:León Cortés Castro served as President of Costa Rica from 1936 to 1940.During his term he introduced new bank reforms, supported banana plantations in the South Pacific region, and established ports at Quepos and Golfito. He was the last of a series of relatively conservative Presidents...
) which was ultimately responsible for the creation of the Casa de la Madre y el Niño (House of the Mother and Child).
During her husband's administration she was actively involved in diverse social causes and in 1940 she achieved the reestablishment of the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica
Music of Costa Rica
The country of Costa Rica has many kinds of music.Though its music has achieved little international credit, Costa Rican popular music genres include: an indigenous calypso scene which is distinct from the more widely-known Trinidadian calypso sound, as well as a thriving disco audience that...
. She was the first president of the Orchestra's board of directors and remained so until 1947 without salary.
She acted as offfcial translator during President Calderón's 1940 meeting with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Clays later became Costa Rica's first female diplomat and was in charge of several missions in the United States. She had a long friendship with American Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles
Sumner Welles
Benjamin Sumner Welles was an American government official and diplomat in the Foreign Service. He was a major foreign policy adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt and served as Under Secretary of State from 1937 to 1943, during FDR's presidency.-Early life:Benjamin Sumner Welles was born in...
and thanks to her mediation the 1942 signing of the Fernández-Pierson contract was possible, in which Costa Rica was granted a credit of up to . Clays' intervention also achieved the establishment of the Instituto Interamericano de Ciencias Agrícolas in Costa Rica in 1943, today known as the Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura.
Yvonne Clays Spoelders died in San José, Costa Rica
San José, Costa Rica
San José is the capital and largest city of Costa Rica. Located in the Central Valley, San José is the seat of national government, the focal point of political and economic activity, and the major transportation hub of this Central American nation.Founded in 1738 by order of Cabildo de León, San...
on February 11, 1994. At the time of her death she left her personal library to the University of Costa Rica
University of Costa Rica
The University of Costa Rica is a public university in the Republic of Costa Rica, in Central America. Its main campus, Ciudad Universitaria Rodrigo Facio, is located in San Pedro, in the province of San José. It is the oldest, largest, and most prestigious institution of higher learning in...
Faculty of Science.