Rose Mofford (née Perica; June 10, 1922September 15, 2016) was an American civil servant and politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 18th governor of Arizona from 1988 to 1991. Her career in state government spanned 51 years, beginning as a secretary and working her way up the ranks to become the state's first female secretary of state, serving from 1977 to 1988, and the state's first female governor.

Early life

Mofford was born Rose Perica in Globe, Arizona, on June 10, 1922, the youngest of six children. Her parents, Frances (Oberstar) and John Perica, had immigrated to the United States from Croatia, then part of Austria-Hungary. The first female class president in the history of Globe High School, she had success in both academics and athletics. She played basketball and was an All-American softball player.

She graduated in 1939 as class valedictorian and, based upon her father's advice, turned down an opportunity to play professional basketball with the All American Red Heads.

Career

Following high school, Mofford began her career as an administrative assistant for State Treasurer Joe Hunt. She was eighteen when she started working for him, and earned a salary of $125 a month.

Bolin died in office on March 4, 1978. Although Mofford was Secretary of State, she held that post by appointment, so she could not ascend to the governorship; instead, Attorney General Bruce Babbitt became governor. At the end of the term she ran for a full term as Secretary of State and won. She was reelected in 1982 and 1986. Mofford became known in the state capital as the friendly woman with a beehive hairdo, and her office gained a reputation as an efficient operation. She was punctual, answering her own phone and replying directly to her mail. In addition to her state position, she served from 1982 until 1983 as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

In traditionally Republican Arizona, Democrat Mofford was well-liked by members of both parties. She was a bipartisan leader who often reached across the political aisle. While most observers complimented her on the job she performed, Mecham objected to Mofford replacing the one state department head that he had appointed. Mecham was convicted on two of four articles in the impeachment trial and removed from office on April 4, 1988. Mofford was sworn in as Governor for the balance of Mecham's term, despite the fact that Article V, Section 2, of the Arizona Constitution, then provided that all state office holders must be male persons. (Apparently this provision had been ignored for many years; Ana Frohmiller had been elected state auditor 12 times from 1926 through 1948.) In the November 8, 1988 election, Arizona voters adopted Proposition 103, eliminating the gender-specific qualification for office.

Mofford was thought to have had a rocky transition to the governorship at first, as she faced a collapse of the real-estate market and a high deficit left over from the previous administration. State Senate Democratic leader Alfredo Gutierrez said of her actions, "What she did was reinvest the system with dignity and honor."

Mofford fought for higher bonding limits She strongly opposed English-only instruction in Arizona schools and considered herself an advocate for civil liberties. Known for her fondness for athletics, Mofford created a funding mechanism to keep Major League Baseball's Cactus League in the state. this holiday had been rescinded under her predecessor. The holiday was eventually reinstated by popular vote in 1992 after she had left office. The proposed legislation was rejected by the state legislature by one vote.

In early 1990, Mofford announced that she had decided not to run for election to a full four-year term. She was succeeded by Fife Symington. Mofford told reporters in 1990 that she hoped to be remembered "as a caring governor, because I cared about everybody in Arizona".

Later life

After leaving office, Mofford dedicated her time to civic and charitable activities. She worked with former lawmaker Leo Corbet to help people in Arizona get organ transplants under the state health insurance.

In a 2010 interview, Mofford said, "I attribute my success in life to my roots, religion, and my Rolodex".

Mofford identified as a devout Catholic. After Mofford's death, Governor Doug Ducey said that "rising through the ranks of state government to our state's top office, she [Mofford] shattered a once-thought-unbreakable glass ceiling and served as an unparalleled role model to many".

See also

  • List of female governors in the United States

Further reading

References

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