Janet Jagan
President, Guyana, 1997 - 1999, d. 2009

Janet Jagan was president of Guyana from 19 December 1997 to 11 August 1999, and previously served as Prime Minister from 17 March 1997 to 19 December 1997.

She was born to a Jewish, middle-class family in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. In 1943, she married Cheddi Jagan, an Indo-Guyanese, and moved to Guyana. In 1950 they co-founded the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), and Janet served as the PPP’s General Secretary from 1950-1970.

During her long political career, Janet Jagan served as a Member of Parliament and as Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Labor, Minister of Health, and Minister of Housing. After Cheddi’s death, Janet was sworn in as Prime Minister as well as First Vice President on March 1997.

She was elected as the first female President of Guyana, and also as the first US-born and Caucasian woman to lead the nation. Janet resigned as President due to health problems in August 1999 and designated Jagdeo as her successor.