Anthony Joseph Mamo (9 January 1909 – 1 May 2008) was the first president of Malta and before that was the last governor-general of the State of Malta before the country became a republic. He was also the first Maltese citizen to be appointed Governor-General, and before independence, was briefly acting governor.
Mamo was born in the town of Birkirkara on 9 January 1909, the son of Joseph Mamo and Carla Brincat. He was educated at the Archbishop's Seminary and then the University of Malta, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1931 and a doctor of laws in 1934.
He had been in private practice as an advocate for just over a year when he made the Public Service his career. In October 1936, he was appointed member of the Commission which, under the chairmanship of Judge Harding, was entrusted with the task of preparing a revised edition of all the Laws of Malta. This task took six years to complete. He was in private practice a year before joining the civil service.
In the meantime the Second World War broke out and, although the commission's work was carried on, Mamo, like so many others, gave his services for refugee work and the welfare of those hit by war.
He was Crown Counsel from 1942 and later became attorney general in 1955. From 1943, Mamo was a professor of criminal law at the University of Malta. He was appointed as Chief Justice of Malta in 1957 where he served until 1971 when he was appointed as Governor-General, the first Maltese to hold that office, serving until 13 December 1974, when Malta was proclaimed a republic. He served as president from that date until he was succeeded by Anton Buttigieg on 27 December 1976. He was given knighthood in 1959.
Mamo was married to Margaret (née Agius) from 1939 until her death in 2002. They had three children; Both were given appointments to the Venerable Order of St. John later in life; he as a Knight, and she as a Commander.
Mamo died on 1 May 2008 at the age of 99, at Casa Arkati in Mosta. An oncology center in Mater Dei Hospital was named the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre.
Malta : Companion of Honour of the National Order of Merit (06.04.90) by right as a former President of Malta
Officer of the Order of the British Empire (1955 or 1957),
Knight Bachelor (1957 or 1959)