Maurice Henry Dorman

Sir Maurice Henry Dorman GCMG GCVO DL
1st Governor-General of Malta
In office 21 September 1964 – 22 June 1971
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Giorgio Borg Olivier Dom Mintoff
Preceded by	Himself (as governor)
Succeeded by	Sir Anthony Mamo
Governor of Malta
In office 2 July 1962 – 21 September 1964
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Guy Grantham
Succeeded by	Himself (as governor-general)
1st Governor-General of Sierra Leone
In office 27 April 1961 – 5 May 1962
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Sir Milton Margai
Preceded by	Himself (as governor)
Succeeded by	Sir Henry Josiah Lightfoot Boston
Governor of Sierra Leone
In office 1 December 1956 – 27 April 1961
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Robert de Zouche Hall
Succeeded by	Himself (as governor-general)
Personal details
Born	7 August 1912 Stafford, England
Died	26 October 1993(1993-10-26) (aged 81)
Spouse	Monica Dorman
Children	4
Alma mater	Magdalene College, Cambridge
Occupation	Colonial administrator, diplomat, philanthropist

Sir Maurice Henry Dorman GCMG GCVO DL (7 August 1912 – 26 October 1993) was a British colonial administrator and diplomat who governed the Commonwealth Realms of Tanganyika Territory, Trinidad and Tobago, Sierra Leone, and Malta.

Early life and education

Maurice Henry Dorman was born in Stafford, England, on 7 August 1912. He was educated at Magdalene College, Cambridge. He married Monica Smith, with whom he had four children.

Career

In the Tanganyika Territory Dorman was an administrative officer from 1935 to 1940, and Clerk of Councils from 1940 to 1945. He was the assistant to Lieutenant Governor of Malta David Campbell from 1945 to 1947. In Mandatory Palestine he was a Principal Assistant Secretary in 1947. From 1952 to 1956, he was the colonial secretary in Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1954, Dorman was selected as acting governor of Trinidad and Tobago and served until 1956. Dorman was appointed as the colonial governor of the Sierra Leone Colony and Protectorate in 1956, and was retained his position after the independence of Sierra Leone until 7 July 1962. On 21 September 1964, he became the first Governor-General of Malta and held the position until 21 June 1971. Diplomatic relations were established between West Germany and Malta during his tenure on 16 February 1965.

Dorman was a trustee of the Imperial War Museum from 1972 to 1985. He was an almoner in the Order of Saint John from 1972 to 1975.

Later life

Dorman returned to the United Kingdom after serving on the Pearce Commission and retired from governmental work. He died on 26 October 1993.

Works cited

Books

• Lentz, Harris, ed. (2014). Heads of States and Governments Since 1945. Routledge. ISBN 9781134264902.

News

• Beyer, Tanja; Bonnici, Marlene (15 February 2025). "60 years of German-Maltese diplomacy". Times of Malta.
• Grey, Ralph (10 November 1993). "Obituary: Sir Maurice Dorman". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2025.