Rose Mofford

Template:Short description Template:Infobox officeholder Rose Mofford (née Perica; June 10, 1922Template:Spaced ndashSeptember 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,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref name="Kanman">Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref name="Jennings 177">Jennings, Marianne M. "Rose Mofford". In Myers, John L. (ed.). The Arizona governors, 1912–1990. Phoenix, AZ: Heritage Publishers, Template:ISBN, 1989 p. 177.</ref>

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.<ref name=":1" /> Two years later, when Hunt was promoted to the Arizona Tax Commission, Mofford followed her boss to the new position.<ref name="Kanman"/> In 1945, she left the Tax Commission and became business manager for Arizona Highways, a state magazine. Mofford returned to the Tax Commission in 1947 as executive secretary. Following Hunt's retirement in 1960, new commissioner Thad Moore fired Mofford, saying "we felt it was better to have a man in that job."<ref name="Jennings 177"/><ref name="Gruson"/> Following her dismissal from the Tax Commission, Mofford was hired as an executive secretary by Secretary of State Wesley Bolin. She remained in the Secretary of State's office until 1975, when she became assistant director of the State Revenue Department (formerly the Tax Commission).<ref name="Jennings 177"/>

Secretary of State of Arizona

Street commemorating Rose Mofford outside the State Capitol building in Phoenix, Arizona.

When Governor Raúl Castro announced his resignation to become Ambassador to Argentina, Secretary Bolin ascended to the governorship. Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor; the secretary of state stands first in the line of succession to the governorship if retaining office by election. Bolin in turn appointed Mofford to serve the remainder of his term as Secretary of State.<ref name="Mofford is New State Secretary">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Rose Mofford Will Seek">Template:Cite news</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Gruson"/> In 1982 she won the election by nearly a 2–1 ratio, and won unopposed in 1986.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite journal</ref> 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.<ref>Jennings, Marianne M. "Rose Mofford". In Myers, John L. (ed.). The Arizona governors, 1912–1990. Phoenix, AZ: Heritage Publishers, Template:ISBN, 1989 p. 180.</ref>

In traditionally Republican Arizona, Democrat Mofford was well-liked by members of both parties.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite news</ref> She was a bipartisan leader who often reached across the political aisle.<ref name=":2" />

Governor of Arizona

Governor Evan Mecham was impeached on February 8, 1988. Per the Arizona Constitution, his powers were suspended and Mofford became acting governor.<ref name="Mofford is New State Secretary" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While most observers complimented her on the job she performed, Mecham objected to Mofford replacing the one state department head that he had appointed.<ref name="Mofford is New State Secretary" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Mofford was thought to have had a rocky transition to the governorship at first,<ref name=":5">Template:Cite news</ref> as she faced a collapse of the real-estate market and a high deficit left over from the previous administration.<ref name=":5" /> Her primary goal as governor was to return stability to Arizona. She was called "the healing governor", and some thought it was her duty as governor to repair the state.<ref name=":4" /> Mofford also received this nickname due to her ability to ease racial division in Arizona, which some considered a problem under Mecham.<ref name=":2" /> Her efforts were widely held as providing a calming effect following the tumultuous impeachment and recall proceedings of her predecessor.<ref>Jennings, Marianne M. "Rose Mofford". In Myers, John L. (ed.). The Arizona governors, 1912–1990. Phoenix, AZ: Heritage Publishers, Template:ISBN, 1989 p.182.</ref> State Senate Democratic leader Alfredo Gutierrez said of her actions, "What she did was reinvest the system with dignity and honor."<ref name="Kanman" /> During her time in office, Mofford was one of only three female governors in the country.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref>

Mofford fought for higher bonding limits<ref name=":5" /> and increased funding for mental health programs in Arizona.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> She strongly opposed English-only instruction in Arizona schools and considered herself an advocate for civil liberties.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite news</ref> Known for her fondness for athletics, Mofford created a funding mechanism to keep Major League Baseball's Cactus League in the state.<ref name=":5" /> She created the Governor's Alliance Against Drugs, the Governor's Youth Commission Against Drugs, and managed the formation of the state's first Drug Prevention Resource Center.<ref name=":0" /> The governor formed a task force to combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic statewide, as a response to its rising national concern;<ref name=":6" /> during this time, the HIV/AIDS crisis was an issue thought to be ignored by politicians throughout the country.<ref name=":6" /> Mofford tried to increase political leadership opportunities for women in the state,<ref name=":6" /> appointing more minorities and women to commissions, boards, and courts than any other past Arizona governor.<ref name=":6" />

Mofford advocated for the re-establishment of Martin Luther King Day as a paid state holiday;<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref> this holiday had been rescinded under her predecessor.<ref name=":8">Template:Cite news</ref> The holiday was eventually reinstated by popular vote in 1992 after she had left office.<ref name=":8" />

In 1988, Mofford stated her opposition to a bill banning abortions in the state (except in extreme cases), claiming it was unconstitutional.<ref name=":9">Template:Cite news</ref> The proposed legislation was rejected by the state legislature by one vote.<ref name=":9" />

Mofford enjoyed a high level of popularity in the state, but her popularity decreased when she commuted two murder sentences in 1989;<ref name=":5" /> convicted murderers James Hamm and Carl Kummerlowe were able to attain early parole under her commutations, which she later tried to rescind.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In early 1990, Mofford announced that she had decided not to run for election to a full four-year term.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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".<ref name=":2" />

Awards

Mofford received the Distinguished Public Servant and Dedicated Humanitarian Award from St. Jude's Research Hospital.<ref name=":4" /> In 1988, she won Valley Leadership's Outstanding Woman of the Year Award.<ref name=":4" /> She was a recipient of the Arizona Heritage Award in 2004.<ref name=":7" />

She was honored as an Arizona Historymaker from The Historical League in 1999.<ref name=":4" /> Former Phoenix mayor Skip Rimsza established June 10 as "Rose Mofford Day".<ref name=":4" /> She was a member of the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame,<ref name="Rose Mofford Will Seek" /> and municipal softball fields are named in her honor in both Butler and Phoenix.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Later life

After leaving office, Mofford dedicated her time to civic and charitable activities.<ref name="Kanman" /> She served as chair of the campaign committee of Attorney General Terry Goddard's unsuccessful 2010 election bid for Governor of Arizona.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She worked with former lawmaker Leo Corbet to help people in Arizona get organ transplants under the state health insurance.<ref name=":5" /> She often visited residence homes for the elderly, and washed, sorted, and donated clothes to homeless shelters until she was 91.<ref name=":5" />

Even after she left office, Mofford was considered a mentor to several Arizona politicians.<ref name=":2" /> She would often use her influence in politics to help others rise up in the ranks.<ref name=":1" /> Former Senator Dennis DeConcini remembered asking Mofford for advice after taking a job as a gubernatorial staffer.<ref name=":2" /> Mofford would make calls for him which "opened a lot of doors" according to DeConcini.<ref name=":2" />

In the 2004 US presidential election, Mofford was on the slate of prospective Democratic electors for Arizona supporting the presidential campaign of then-US Senator John Kerry. Arizona was won by incumbent President George W. Bush that year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In a 2010 interview, Mofford said, "I attribute my success in life to my roots, religion, and my Rolodex".<ref name=":5" /> She started the Rolodex when she began working in government in 1940, eventually compiling 4,000 contacts.<ref name=":1" />

Personal life

In 1957, Rose Perica married Thorald Robert "Lefty" Mofford, a captain with the Phoenix Police Department. The couple divorced after a decade, but remained friends until his death in 1983; Rose Mofford retained Lefty's surname. They did not have children, and Rose Mofford never remarried.<ref name="Gruson">Template:Cite news</ref>

Mofford identified as a devout Catholic.<ref name=":7" /> She considered religion to be a driving force in her success both in politics and as a leader.<ref name=":7" /> She contributed to the Missionaries of Charity, a foundation created by Mother Teresa.<ref name=":7" /> Her commitment to her faith was thought to have made her more popular among Arizonians.<ref name=":7" />

Death

On August 31, 2016, after falling at her home, Mofford was admitted to a hospice. She died there on September 15, 2016, at the age of 94.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref> 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".<ref name=":3" />

Grave marker

Grave of Governor Mofford

Rose Mofford is buried at Saint Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2017, a new grave marker was unveiled for Mofford's grave, which includes among other things images of her meeting Pope John Paul II in 1987 and Mother Teresa in 1989; those meetings were some of her favorite times as governor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• List of female governors in the United States

Further reading

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External links

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