Rose Mofford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rose Mofford
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Mofford in 2012
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| 18th Governor of Arizona | |
| In office April 4, 1988 – March 6, 1991 Acting: February 8 – April 4, 1988 |
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| Preceded by | Evan Mecham |
| Succeeded by | Fife Symington |
| 13th Secretary of State of Arizona | |
| In office October 20, 1977 – April 4, 1988 |
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| Governor | Wesley Bolin Bruce Babbitt Evan Mecham |
| Preceded by | Wesley Bolin |
| Succeeded by | James Shumway |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rose Perica
June 10, 1922 Globe, Arizona, U.S. |
| Died | September 15, 2016 (aged 94) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Lefty Mofford
(m. 1957; div. 1967) |
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Rose Mofford (born Rose Perica; June 10, 1922 – September 15, 2016) was an American civil servant and politician. She was a member of the Democratic Party. Her career in Arizona state government lasted for 51 years. Mofford started as a secretary. She worked her way up to become Arizona's first female Secretary of State from 1977 to 1988. Later, she became the state's first female Governor from 1988 to 1991.
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Early Life and School Years
Rose Perica was born in Globe, Arizona, on June 10, 1922. She was the youngest of six children. Her parents, Frances and John Perica, came to the United States from Croatia.
Rose was a very good student and athlete. She was the first female class president in the history of Globe High School. She played basketball and was an All-American softball player. After graduating in 1939 as the top student (class valedictorian), she decided not to play professional basketball. Her father advised her to focus on other paths.
Career in State Government
After high school, Mofford began working as a secretary for State Treasurer Joe Hunt. She was 18 years old. When Hunt moved to the Arizona Tax Commission, Mofford went with him. In 1945, she worked as a business manager for Arizona Highways, a state magazine. She returned to the Tax Commission in 1947.
In 1960, Mofford was hired by Wesley Bolin, who was the Secretary of State. She stayed in this office until 1975. Then she became an assistant director for the State Revenue Department.
Becoming Secretary of State
When Governor Raúl Castro left his job, Secretary Bolin became the new governor. Arizona does not have a lieutenant governor. The Secretary of State is next in line to become governor. Governor Bolin then chose Mofford to finish his term as Secretary of State.
Governor Bolin died in 1978. Because Mofford had been appointed, not elected, to her Secretary of State role, she could not become governor. Instead, Attorney General Bruce Babbitt became governor.
Mofford later ran for a full term as Secretary of State and won. She was reelected in 1982 and 1986. She won by a large margin in 1982 and ran unopposed in 1986. Mofford became known for her friendly nature and her beehive hairdo. Her office was known for being very efficient. She always answered her own phone and replied to her mail quickly. She also served as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State from 1982 to 1983.
Mofford was well-liked by both Democrats and Republicans in Arizona. She was a leader who worked well with people from different political parties.
Serving as Governor of Arizona
Governor Evan Mecham was removed from office on April 4, 1988. This happened after a process called impeachment. According to the Arizona Constitution, Mofford became acting governor on February 8, 1988. She was then sworn in as Governor. At that time, the Arizona Constitution said that state office holders had to be male. However, in November 1988, Arizona voters approved a change to remove this gender rule.
Mofford faced challenges when she became governor. The real estate market was struggling, and the state had a large budget problem.
Mofford's main goal as governor was to bring stability back to Arizona. People called her "the healing governor." She helped calm the state after a difficult time. She also worked to ease racial tensions in Arizona. State Senate Democratic leader Alfredo Gutierrez said she helped bring "dignity and honor" back to the system. During her time in office, Mofford was one of only three female governors in the country.
Mofford supported more funding for mental health programs. She was against teaching only English in Arizona schools. She also worked to keep Major League Baseball's Cactus League in the state. She created a group to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Mofford also worked to create more leadership chances for women in the state. She appointed more women and minorities to important positions than any governor before her.
Mofford also pushed for Martin Luther King Day to be a paid state holiday again. This holiday had been removed by the previous governor. It was later brought back by a public vote in 1992, after she had left office.
Mofford was very popular in Arizona. However, her popularity decreased when she changed two murder sentences in 1989.
In early 1990, Mofford announced she would not run for a full four-year term. Fife Symington became the next governor. Mofford told reporters she hoped to be remembered as "a caring governor."
Awards and Honors
Mofford received the Distinguished Public Servant and Dedicated Humanitarian Award. This award was from St. Jude's Research Hospital. In 1988, she won Valley Leadership's Outstanding Woman of the Year Award. She also received the Arizona Heritage Award in 2004.
The Historical League honored her as an Arizona Historymaker in 1999. Former Phoenix mayor Skip Rimsza named June 10 "Rose Mofford Day." She is a member of the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame. Softball fields in Butler and Phoenix are named in her honor.
Later Life and Legacy
After leaving office, Mofford spent her time on community and charity work. She helped people in Arizona get organ transplants. She often visited homes for older people. She also washed and donated clothes to homeless shelters until she was 91 years old.
Even after she was no longer governor, Mofford was a mentor to many Arizona politicians. She used her influence to help others succeed. Former Senator Dennis DeConcini said Mofford's calls "opened a lot of doors" for him.
In a 2010 interview, Mofford said her success came from her "roots, religion, and my Rolodex." She started her Rolodex (a contact organizer) in 1940. It eventually held 4,000 contacts.
Personal Life
In 1957, Rose Perica married Thorald Robert "Lefty" Mofford. He was a captain with the Phoenix Police Department. They divorced after ten years but remained friends until his death in 1983. Rose Mofford kept his last name. They did not have children, and Rose Mofford never remarried.
Mofford was a strong Catholic. She believed her faith helped her succeed in politics and as a leader. She supported the Missionaries of Charity, a group started by Mother Teresa. Her faith made her very popular with people in Arizona.
Death
Rose Mofford died on September 15, 2016, at the age of 94. She had fallen at her home and was admitted to a hospice on August 31, 2016. After her death, Governor Doug Ducey said she "shattered a once-thought-unbreakable glass ceiling." He also said she was an amazing role model.
Grave Marker
Rose Mofford is buried at Saint Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2017, a new grave marker was placed on her grave. It includes pictures of her meeting Pope John Paul II in 1987 and Mother Teresa in 1989. These meetings were some of her favorite times as governor.
See also
