Rita Karen Olsen Beck (born January 31, 1933 in Copenhagen, Denmark)[2] is a Danish American-Costa Rican diplomat, politician and social worker.

[4] After graduating from Mary Washington College, Olsen enrolled at the University of Copenhagen to study social sciences.

[1] She then received a Master of Arts in sociology from Columbia University in New York City.

[1] She married the then-President of Costa Rica, José Figueres Ferrer, on February 7, 1954, becoming the country's First Lady.

[1] With Figueres she had four children, including José María, also president of Costa Rica 1994–1998; and Christiana Figueres, a specialist in environment and climate change, who is the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.