Mem de Sá (1504-1572) was a Portuguese jurist and a governor general of Brazil who served from 1558 to 1572 and helped to bring a new stability and prosperity to Portuguese America.

Mem de Sá was born in Coimbra, Portugal. He studied law at the University of Salamanca. After receiving his law degree in 1528, he served as a judge in several of the highest courts of Portugal. A learned and able jurist, he enjoyed special favor with King João III. The Crown appointed him to be the third governor general of Brazil.

The cultured Sá brought peace and a certain degree of prosperity to Brazil after he assumed his duties in January 1558. Among others, the eminent Jesuit missionary Manuel da Nóbrega sang his praises: "As soon as Mem de Sá took the reins of government, he began to show his prudence, zeal...