Jane Dee Hull

Jane Dee Hull
Gage Skidmore · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	Jane Dee Hull
Birth date	August 8, 1935
Birth place	Kansas City, Missouri, United States
Death date	April 16, 2020
Death place	Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Office	20th Governor of Arizona
Term start	September 5, 1997
Term end	January 6, 2003
Predecessor	Fife Symington
Successor	Janet Napolitano
Party	Republican Party (United States)
Spouse	Terry Hull
Alma mater	University of Kansas

Jane Dee Hull

Jane Dee Hull was an American politician and educator who served as the 20th Governor of Arizona and as Arizona Secretary of State. A member of the Republican Party (United States), she succeeded Fife Symington after his resignation and won election to a full term, becoming the first woman to be elected governor of Arizona. Her career spanned service in the Arizona House of Representatives, the Arizona State Senate, and statewide office, and intersected with major figures and institutions in Arizona and national politics.

Early life and education

Hull was born in Kansas City, Missouri and raised in Pittsburg, Kansas, where she attended local schools before enrolling at the University of Kansas. At Kansas she studied education and trained to be a teacher, participating in campus organizations and regional civic activities that connected her to communities across the Midwest United States and the Great Plains. Her early years placed her in proximity to institutions such as Fort Scott Community College, the Kansas State Historical Society, and regional networks that included educators associated with the National Education Association and state teacher groups.

Early political career

Hull's entry into public life was through local and state civic engagement that linked her to education policy and municipal affairs across Arizona communities. After moving to Phoenix, Arizona and later Mesa, Arizona, she became active in Maricopa County, Arizona issues and Republican Party organizing that connected to figures like Barry Goldwater and national party committees. She ran for and won seats in the Arizona House of Representatives during a period of policy debates involving the Arizona Constitution and statewide institutions such as the Arizona Corporation Commission and the Arizona Judicial Branch. Her legislative alliances brought her into contact with leaders from the Arizona Republican Party and bipartisan coalitions collaborating with members of the Arizona Democratic Party on local initiatives.

Arizona legislature and Secretary of State

Hull served multiple terms in the Arizona State Senate and the Arizona House of Representatives, where she held leadership roles interacting with state bodies including the Arizona State University system, the University of Arizona, and the Arizona Department of Education. During legislative service she worked on bills that affected agencies such as the Arizona Department of Transportation, the Arizona Department of Health Services, and the Arizona Department of Economic Security. In 1994 she was elected Arizona Secretary of State and served under Governor Fife Symington, a period that required coordination with the Arizona Supreme Court, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, and the Arizona State Treasurer on election administration, executive orders, and state record-keeping. Her role as Secretary of State positioned her within successor protocols defined by the Arizona Constitution and interactions with regional leaders including the Mayor of Phoenix and county officials across Pima County, Arizona and Yavapai County, Arizona.

Governorship

When Governor Fife Symington resigned amid legal and political controversies, Hull assumed the governorship as provided by the Arizona Constitution and the state's line of succession. As governor she managed relationships with the Arizona Legislature, the Arizona National Guard, and federal agencies such as the United States Department of Justice, the United States Department of Education, and the Department of Homeland Security (United States). Her administration focused on issues tied to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, immigration debates involving the United States Customs and Border Protection, and budget matters interacting with the Office of Management and Budget (United States) and the United States Congress. Hull presided over initiatives that engaged statewide institutions like the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System and collaborated with municipal leaders from Tucson, Arizona, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Scottsdale, Arizona. She won election to a full term in the 1998 gubernatorial race, competing against Democratic and third-party candidates and engaging campaign networks that included national fundraisers, political action committees, and media outlets such as The Arizona Republic.

Post-gubernatorial activities and legacy

After leaving office she remained active with nonprofit organizations, educational boards, and civic foundations connected to public policy, including collaborations with the Brookings Institution, state think tanks, and local charitable organizations. Hull participated in discussions hosted by institutions such as the John F. Kennedy School of Government and contributed to initiatives involving the National Governors Association and the Council of State Governments West. Her legacy has been discussed in retrospectives by regional newspapers like The Arizona Republic and broadcast outlets including NPR and PBS, and among scholars at the University of Arizona and Arizona State University who study gubernatorial leadership, women in politics, and Southwestern policy. Honors and recognitions from organizations including state historical societies and civic groups reflect her impact on legislative precedent, executive succession, and public administration in Arizona.

Personal life and death

Hull married educator Terry Hull, and the couple were active in community and faith organizations across Maricopa County, Arizona and the Phoenix metropolitan area. She maintained ties to educational institutions such as the University of Kansas, and to civic groups including the Rotary International and local chapters of national service organizations. Hull died in Phoenix, Arizona in April 2020 at age 84; her passing was noted by state leaders including the Governor of Arizona and members of the Arizona Legislature, and obituaries were published in outlets such as The Arizona Republic and national media including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Category:1935 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Governors of Arizona Category:Arizona Republicans Category:Women state governors of the United States