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Rosa Altagracia Eulogia Gómez Arias (11 March 1940 – 21 March 2022) was a Dominican socialite who was the First Lady of the Dominican Republic from 2000 until 2004 and the wife of President Hipólito Mejía.

Gómez was the first woman to head the official government Office of the First Lady, which was created by Decree 741-00 on 10 September 2000, less than a month after she assumed the position. She focused on education, social initiatives, and cultural issues during her four year tenure.

Biography

Rosa Gómez Arias was born in Gurabo, Santiago Province. She studied education at the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo. Gómez married Hipólito Mejía on 4 July 1964. The couple had four children: Ramón, Felipe, Carolina, and Lissa. Their daughter Carolina Mejía de Garrigó was a candidate for vice president of the Dominican Republic in 2016 and became mayor of the Distrito Nacional (Santo Domingo) in 2020.

Gómez de Mejía became First Lady of the Dominican Republic on 16 August 2000, with the inauguration of her husband, Hipólito Mejía. Gómez was the country's first new First Lady since Asela Mera de Jorge left the office in 1986. From 1986 until 2000, the Presidents of the Dominican Republic were either unmarried (Joaquín Balaguer) or divorced at the time (Leonel Fernández).

The official, government Office of the First Lady was created by Decree 741 of 10 September 2000. Rosa Gómez de Mejía became the first First Lady to head and coordinate the new government office from September 2000 until she left the position in 2004.

As first lady, Gómez helped to conceive and establish El Museo Infantil Trampolín (The Trampoline Children's Museum), a children's museum and nonprofit focused on introducing Dominican children to new educational and cultural experiences. The museum, which opened on 30 April 2004, is housed in the Casa de Bastidas, the 15th century home of Rodrigo de Bastidas, in Santo Domingo's Ciudad Colonial neighborhood. The museum's exhibition rooms include science rooms and an open-air theater. Approximately 90,000 children visit the institution annually.

Rosa Gómez de Mejía died on 21 March 2022, ten days after her 82nd birthday. She suffered a heart attack prior to her death.

Honors

• Spanish Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic in 2000

References

1. ^ Perez, Celeste (8 July 2020). "¿Qué es y cómo funciona el Despacho de la Primera Dama?". Listín Diario. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
2. Perez, Celeste (26 August 2020). "Mujeres de poder: un recorrido por la historia de las primeras damas de la República". Listín Diario. Archived from the original on 28 February 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
3. ^ "Doña Rosa Gómez de Mejía biografia". Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. 2007. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
4. "Despacho de la Primera Dama de República Dominicana: Creación del Despacho". Office of the First Lady of the Dominican Republic. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
5. ^ "Quienese Somos: Historia y base legal de la organizacion". El Museo Infantil Trampolín. 2013. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
6. Fallece la exprimera dama Rosa Gómez de Mejía (in Spanish)
7. "Former First Lady dies of heart failure". DominicanToday. 22 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.

• 1940 births
• 2022 deaths
• First ladies of the Dominican Republic
• Dominican Revolutionary Party politicians
• Modern Revolutionary Party politicians
• Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
• Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo alumni
• People from Santiago Province (Dominican Republic)