Fife Symington facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Fife Symington
Symington in 2017
19th Governor of Arizona
In office March 6, 1991 – September 5, 1997
Preceded by	Rose Mofford
Succeeded by	Jane Dee Hull
Personal details
Born	John Fife Symington III (1945-08-12) August 12, 1945 (age 79) New York City, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ann Olin Pritzlaff ​ (m. 1976)​
Parent	J. Fife Symington Jr. (father)
Education	Harvard University (AB)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Air Force
Years of service	1967–1971
Rank	Captain
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards	Bronze Star

John Fife Symington III (born August 12, 1945) is an American businessman and politician. He served as the 19th governor of Arizona from 1991 to 1997. He is a member of the Republican Party. He left office early due to legal issues, but these decisions were later overturned. President Bill Clinton later cleared his name.

Before becoming governor, Symington was in the United States Air Force. He was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona. He earned the Bronze Star for his service in the Vietnam War. After leaving the Air Force, he became a real estate developer in Arizona.

Early Life and Career

Symington was born in New York City, New York on August 12, 1945. His family was well-known in Maryland. His great-grandfather was the famous steel businessman Henry Clay Frick. Symington's father, J. Fife Symington Jr., was the United States Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago. His cousin, Stuart Symington, was a U.S. Senator from Missouri.

Symington went to Gilman School in Baltimore. He then studied at Harvard University, graduating in 1968. He earned a degree in art history, focusing on Dutch art. While at Harvard, he learned about the ideas of Friedrich Hayek. Hayek was an economist who believed in limited government and free markets. These ideas influenced Symington's political views.

In 1967, Symington joined the United States Air Force. He served during the Vietnam War and was stationed near Glendale, Arizona. In 1971, he received the Bronze Star Medal for his excellent service. He was honorably discharged that same year. He decided to stay in Arizona and started his own real estate company in 1976.

The Esplanade in Phoenix was one of The Symington Company's projects.

One of Symington's big projects was building The Esplanade in Phoenix. It was a large office complex. He believed it was the best spot for business in town. The project took a long time to finish, from 1983 to 2003. His company also built other projects like the Scottsdale Seville and The Mercado. The Mercado was a shopping complex in downtown Phoenix. It had a design influenced by southwestern and Hispanic culture.

Symington's business dealings, especially with The Esplanade and The Mercado, later led to investigations. These investigations looked into how his projects were funded.

Governor of Arizona

Becoming Governor

In April 1989, Symington announced he would run for Governor of Arizona. He promised to run the state like a business. He highlighted his experience as a successful real estate developer. In the Republican primary election, he won with nearly 44% of the vote. He defeated other well-known politicians.

Former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard was Symington's opponent in the 1990 election.

In the main election, Symington faced Democratic opponent Terry Goddard. Goddard was the former mayor of Phoenix. Symington presented himself as a conservative, like Barry Goldwater. Goldwater, a respected Republican, supported Symington.

The election in November 1990 was very close. Symington was ahead by only 4,300 votes. Because no candidate won more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election was held. This was due to a new rule in Arizona. The runoff took place on February 26, 1991. Symington won the runoff with 52% of the vote. This was the only statewide runoff election in Arizona's history.

First Term (1991–1995)

Symington with then-U.S. President George H. W. Bush in February 1991.

Symington became governor on March 6, 1991. He was Arizona's fourth governor in five years. His first state budget passed without raising taxes. He also started a project called Project SLIM. Its goal was to make the state government smaller and save money.

In November 1992, Symington reached an agreement with the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation. This allowed the tribe to operate gambling machines. Later, in 1993, he signed a law that generally outlawed gambling and casinos in the state. Also in November 1992, Symington supported bringing back Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday in Arizona. He was proud that Arizona was the only state to let the people vote on it.

A major achievement during his first term was education reform. He signed laws that created charter schools in Arizona. The first charter schools opened in 1995. The idea was to improve student learning and offer more choices. Symington believed this would make public schools better through competition.

Second Term and Resignation (1995–1997)

Symington ran for reelection in 1994. He won the Republican primary easily. In the general election, he faced Eddie Basha, a grocery store owner. Symington won with 52% of the vote. He promised to lower state income taxes and help businesses.

Symington oversaw the first temporary closure of Grand Canyon National Park during a federal government shutdown in November 1995.

Early in his second term, Symington faced financial difficulties from his real estate investments. In November 1995, Grand Canyon National Park closed for the first time. This happened because of a federal government shutdown. Symington wanted the park to reopen because it was important for tourism. He even went to the park and demanded it be reopened. Arizona later paid to keep the park open, and the federal government reimbursed the state.

In 1996, Symington signed a law to create the Arizona Water Bank Authority. This agency helps Arizona save extra water for future needs. This has helped Arizona deal with droughts better than some other states.

Later in 1996, Symington faced serious legal challenges related to his business dealings. He was found guilty of certain charges in September 1997. Because of state law, he resigned from office the next day. Jane Dee Hull, the Secretary of State, became the new governor. However, the court later overturned Symington's convictions in 1999. Before he could be retried, President Bill Clinton pardoned him in January 2001. This ended the legal battle.

Life After Being Governor

Arizona Culinary Institute

Symington speaking at a graduation ceremony for the Arizona Culinary Institute in June 2017.

After leaving office, Symington decided to go to culinary school. He said it was a very humbling experience. He graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale. Then, he helped start the Arizona Culinary Institute in 2002. The school focuses on traditional French cooking methods.

Symington also worked as a dessert and pastry chef at an Italian restaurant. The restaurant was called Franco's Italian Caffe. He even created a chocolate mousse recipe called "The Governor (high taste, low taxes)."

Phoenix Lights

In 2007, Symington shared that he had witnessed the Phoenix Lights. This was a famous UFO sighting that happened on March 13, 1997, when he was governor. He said he was a pilot and knew about planes, but this was bigger than anything he had ever seen. He described it as "enormous and inexplicable."

When the event first happened, Symington held a press conference where his chief of staff dressed in an alien costume. He later explained that he did this to prevent public panic and add some humor to the situation. Symington has since spoken out, asking for more investigations into UFO sightings. He believes the government should be more open about these events.

Later Life and Legacy

Symington has thought about running for governor again, but has not done so. He has remained involved in state politics by supporting other candidates. He has endorsed politicians from both major parties.

In 2012, Symington reflected on his time as governor. He felt positive about his experiences, despite the legal challenges. He believed Arizona's government worked well during his term. He also praised Arizona for being home to charter schools, which started under his leadership.

In 2016, a large collection of missing documents from Symington's time as governor was found. These included policy papers, photos, and even a humorous photo of him in a Phoenix Suns gorilla costume. These documents are important for understanding his time in office. In 2017, an exhibit called "The Surreal Life of Fife Symington" opened at the Arizona Capitol Museum. It displayed personal items and family history from Symington's life.

Personal Life

Fife Symington has two children and five grandchildren from his first marriage. His second wife was Ann Olin Pritzlaff. They have three children and eight grandchildren. He is currently married for the third time.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Fife Symington para niños

• List of governors of Arizona
• List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States