Quick Facts
Biography
Dame Miraka "Mira" Szászy DBE QSM JP (née Petricevich, 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 - BA, Dip SocSci. She was a former President of the Māori Women's Welfare League.
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 in recognition of her contribution to the nation.
Personal life
She was born in Waihopo, Northland, in 1921, to Croatian and Māori parents. 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.
Death
She died at home in Ngataki, aged 80, in 2001.
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.