Rose Mofford (née Perica; June 10, 1922September 15, 2016) was an American civil servant and politician of the Democratic Party whose career in state government spanned 51 years. Beginning her career with the State of Arizona as a secretary, Mofford worked her way up the ranks to become the state's first female secretary of state from 1977 to 1988 and the state's first female governor from 1988 to 1991. 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 a secretary for State Treasurer Joe Hunt. She was eighteen when she started working for him, and earned a salary of $125 a month. Two years later, when Hunt was promoted to the Arizona Tax Commission, Mofford followed her boss to the new position. 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." 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). Secretary of State of 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. Bolin died in office on March 4, 1978. Although Mofford was Secretary of State, she held that post by appointment, so she could