Joseph Owono went abroad to earn his university degree in France before returning to his native Cameroon to write. He is the author of a nonfiction book, Le Problème du marriage dotal au Cameroun français (1953) and a novel Tante Bella (1959), which was the first novel to be published in Cameroon. Both books address the exploitation of women in traditional Cameroonian society. From 1970 to 1972, Owono served as Cameroon’s Ambassador to the United States.
The Homes
2349 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC (Christian Hague House, Embassy of Cameroon)
This Beaux Arts house is built of limestone with a prominent round central tower. It was commissioned by Christian Hauge, the first minister to the U.S. from Norway, after Norway gained independence from Sweden. Hauge died in a snowshoeing accident in 1907, never seeing his mansion completed. His American-born wife lived here until 1927. The house was then Embassy of the Czechoslovak Republic prior to its current use. The government of Cameroon purchased the property in 1972. Currently under restoration.
Joseph Owono
2349 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Located in Dupont Circle neighborhood, Northwest - East of Rock Creek