Hull, Jane Dee, 1935-2020

JANE DEE HULL was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Kansas and also did postgraduate work in political science and economics at Arizona State University. She is a graduate of the Josephson Ethics Institute. In 1979 she was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives. From 1989 to 1992, she served as the first woman speaker of the house. In 1993, she ran a successful campaign for secretary of state, becoming the second woman to hold that office and the first Republican since 1931. As governor, she made education, health care, the economy and preserving Arizona’s natural beauty her top priorities. She implemented homeland security measures to ensure the safety of Arizonans. Her Students FIRST school facilities funding program ensures equity for every student in Arizona. Nearly 136,000 children of the working poor now receive health coverage thanks to the Governor’s KidsCare program. Under Governor Hull’s leadership and with a contract from Qwest Communications, Arizona was one of the first states to ensure all public schools had Internet access. Hull also worked extensively on trade issues with Mexican officials and other border governors.

<p>Jane Dee Hull (née Bowersock; August 8, 1935 – April 16, 2020) was an American politician and educator. In 1997, she ascended to the office of governor of Arizona following the resignation of Fife Symington, becoming the state's 20th governor. Hull was elected in her own right the following year, and served until 2003. Hull was the first woman formally elected as Governor of Arizona, and the second woman to serve in the office after Rose Mofford. She was a member of the Republican Party.</p>

<p>A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Hull was a graduate of the University of Kansas with a degree in education. Hull worked as an elementary school teacher while her husband studied to become an obstetrician. She moved to Arizona with her husband, Terry, in 1962 where he began working on the Navajo Nation, while Jane raised the couple's four children and taught English. In 1964, the family moved to Phoenix, where she continued to raise her family. A decade later, she started her political career, and became involved with Republican women groups, in addition to volunteering on political campaigns.</p>

<p>In 1978, Hull was elected to her first political office, as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives. During her tenure in office, she would become House Majority Whip and Speaker of the House. In 1994, she was elected to the office of Secretary of State of Arizona, becoming the first Republican to hold the office in more than six decades. After ascending to the office of Governor of Arizona following Fife Symington's resignation, Hull was elected Governor in 1998 over former Mayor of Phoenix Paul Johnson, in a landslide election. Hull was constitutionally barred from running for a second full term in 2002, and retired from public service.</p>