1. Rose Mofford was an American civil servant and politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 18th governor of Arizona from 1988 to 1991.
42 Facts About Rose Mofford
1. 2.
Rose Mofford played basketball and was an All-American softball player.
3.
Rose Mofford 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.
4.
Rose Mofford was eighteen when she started working for him, and earned a salary of $125 a month.
5.
Two years later, when Hunt was promoted to the Arizona Tax Commission, Rose Mofford followed her boss to the new position.
6.
Rose Mofford returned to the Tax Commission in 1947 as executive secretary.
7.
Rose Mofford remained in the Secretary of State's office until 1975, when she became assistant director of the State Revenue Department.
8.
Bolin in turn appointed Rose Mofford to serve the remainder of his term as Secretary of State.
9.
Rose 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.
10.
Rose Mofford was punctual, answering her own phone and replying directly to her mail.
11.
In traditionally Republican Arizona, Democrat Rose Mofford was well-liked by members of both parties.
12.
Rose Mofford was a bipartisan leader who often reached across the political aisle.
13.
Per the Arizona Constitution, his powers were suspended and Rose Mofford became acting governor.
14.
Rose 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.
15.
Rose 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.
16.
Rose Mofford was called "the healing governor", and some thought it was her duty as governor to repair the state.
17.
Rose Mofford received this nickname due to her ability to ease racial division in Arizona, which some considered a problem under Mecham.
18.
Rose Mofford's efforts were widely held as providing a calming effect following the tumultuous impeachment and recall proceedings of her predecessor.
19.
Rose Mofford fought for higher bonding limits and increased funding for mental health programs in Arizona.
20.
Rose Mofford strongly opposed English-only instruction in Arizona schools and considered herself an advocate for civil liberties.
21.
Rose Mofford 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.
22.
Rose Mofford tried to increase political leadership opportunities for women in the state, appointing more minorities and women to commissions, boards, and courts than any other past Arizona governor.
23.
Rose Mofford advocated for the re-establishment of Martin Luther King Day as a paid state holiday; this holiday had been rescinded under her predecessor.
24.
In 1988, Rose Mofford stated her opposition to a bill banning abortions in the state, claiming it was unconstitutional.
25.
Rose Mofford enjoyed a high level of popularity in the state, but her popularity decreased when she commuted two murder sentences in 1989; convicted murderers James Hamm and Carl Kummerlowe were able to attain early parole under her commutations, which she later tried to rescind.
26.
In early 1990, Rose Mofford announced that she had decided not to run for election to a full four-year term.
27.
Rose Mofford told reporters in 1990 that she hoped to be remembered "as a caring governor, because I cared about everybody in Arizona".
28.
Rose Mofford received the Distinguished Public Servant and Dedicated Humanitarian Award from St Jude's Research Hospital.
29.
Rose Mofford was a recipient of the Arizona Heritage Award in 2004.
30.
Rose Mofford was honored as an Arizona Historymaker from The Historical League in 1999.
31.
Rose Mofford was a member of the Arizona Softball Hall of Fame, and municipal softball fields are named in her honor in both Butler and Phoenix.
32.
Rose Mofford served as chair of the campaign committee of Attorney General Terry Goddard's unsuccessful 2010 election bid for Governor of Arizona.
33.
Rose Mofford worked with former lawmaker Leo Corbet to help people in Arizona get organ transplants under the state health insurance.
34.
Rose Mofford often visited residence homes for the elderly, and washed, sorted, and donated clothes to homeless shelters until she was 91.
35.
Rose Mofford would make calls for him which "opened a lot of doors" according to DeConcini.
36.
Rose Mofford started the Rolodex when she began working in government in 1940, eventually compiling 4,000 contacts.
37.
In 1957, Rose Perica married Thorald Robert "Lefty" Mofford, a captain with the Phoenix Police Department.
38.
The couple divorced after a decade, but remained friends until his death in 1983; Rose Mofford retained Lefty's surname.
39.
Rose Mofford considered religion to be a driving force in her success both in politics and as a leader.
40.
Rose Mofford contributed to the Missionaries of Charity, a foundation created by Mother Teresa.
41.
Rose Mofford died there on September 15,2016, at the age of 94.
42.
Rose Mofford is buried at Saint Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix, Arizona.