Secretaries of State Since Statehood

Served as Secretary of State: 1921 – 1922 Born: Feb. 10, 1880, Creston, Union County, Iowa Died: March 29, 1959, Arizona Pioneers' Home, Prescott, Yavapai County, Ariz. Buried: April 1, 1959, Mesa Cemetery, Mesa, Maricopa County, Ariz. Hall was a U.S. Army, World War I veteran: "He expected to return to the Cuprite [mine] after the adjournment of the Legislature, but before the end of the session enlisted in the Twenty-seventh engineers and went to France. Shortly after his return from the war he was elected secretary of state." ("Ernest Hall Going Back to Mining." The Coconino Sun (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Dec. 8, 1922, p. 8) Sen. Hall did not resign his seat in the Legislature; however, starting on June 10, 1918, he was noted as "excused" in the Senate Journal.

Served as Secretary of State: Jan. 7, 1929 – Jan. 27, 1929 Born: July 9, 1869, Gallitzin, Cambria County, Pennsylvania Died: Jan. 27, 1929, St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Arizona Buried: Pennsylvania "Callaghan was elected at the last election [Nov. 6, 1928] and was to have taken office Jan. 7, but his inauguration was postponed because he was confined to a hospital at that time [he had been taken to the hospital on Jan. 5, 1929]. Callaghan died in office Jan. 27, 1929. ("Secretary of State of Arizona Passes on." The Helena Independent (Helena, Montana), Jan. 28, 1929, p. 8) George W. Nickle was the first person ever to be appointed secretary of state on Jan. 29, but declined the appointment the next day.

Served as Secretary of State: 1931 – 1932 Born: Dec. 17, 1856, La Grange, Fayette County, Texas Died: March 4, 1935, Pioneers’ Home, Prescott, Yavapai County, Ariz. Buried: Phoenix, Ariz. He also served in the Arizona Fourteenth Legislative Assembly, House of Representatives in 1887; served on the Cochise County Board of Supervisors 1891 – 1892; and served as Cochise County Sheriff 1893 – 1894; 1897 – 1900 before becoming Secretary of State.

Served as Secretary of State: 1939 – Nov. 20, 1942 Born: Nov. 16, 1895, Peoria, Maricopa County, Arizona Territory Died: Nov. 20, 1942, Good Samaritan Hospital, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Buried: Nov. 25, 1942, Glendale, Maricopa County, Ariz. Arizona State Treasurer, Harry M. Moore, was elected Arizona Secretary of State in the general election on Nov. 1, 1938 and was sworn in January 2, 1939. He was elected to a second term as Secretary of State in 1940. ("Harry M. Moore Ariz. Secretary of State, Dead." Yuma Daily Sun, Nov. 21, 1942, p. 1) Seventeen days after Moore was elected to a third term in the general election on Nov. 3, 1942, he died of coronary thrombosis on Nov. 20, 1942 following an emergency operation for acute appendicitis. He was 47 years old.

Served as Secretary of State: Nov. 22, 1948 – Jan. 3, 1949 Born: Oct. 10, 1896, Hatchechubbee, Russell County, Alabama Died: June 8, 1969, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Buried: June 11, 1969, Greenwood Memorial Gardens, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Williams was appointed secretary of state in November of 1948 to fill the unexpired term of Sec. Dan E. Garvey who became governor. The 18th Arizona State Legislature, 7th Special Session (Sept. 13, 1948 – Oct. 14, 1948) passed House Concurrent Resolution No. 1 "A Concurrent Resolution Proposing an Amendment to the Constitution of Arizona Relating to Gubernatorial Succession" which was referred to the voters on the Nov. 2, 1948, ballot. This passed and, on Nov. 22, 1948, "Gov. Garvey's first official act was appointment of his former assistant, Curtis M. Williams as secretary of state. Williams will now receive the salary of the office. Williams has been acting secretary since Garvey became acting governor. He will be succeeded as secretary of state on Jan. 3 by Wesley Bolin, justice of the peace in the west Phoenix precinct, who won the office on the Democratic ticket." ("Garvey Sworn in as Governor." Tucson Daily Citizen, Nov. 23, 1948, p. 1)

Served as Secretary of State: Oct. 20, 1977 – April 5, 1988 Born: June 10, 1922, Globe, Gila County, Ariz. Mofford was appointed on Oct. 20, 1977, to the office of Arizona Secretary of State by Gov. Wesley Bolin who succeeded to the governorship upon the resignation of Gov. Raul Castro who had been appointed U.S. Ambassador to Argentina. Secretary Mofford was elected to the office in the Nov. 7, 1978, General Election and was re-elected in 1982 and 1986. Mofford was the first woman elected as secretary of state. Rose Mofford succeeded to the governorship upon the impeachment and Arizona State Senate conviction of Gov. Evan Mecham on April 5, 1988.

Served as Secretary of State: 1991 – 1994 Born: May 28, 1951, St. Joseph's Hospital, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Mahoney holds an A.B. in history (magna cum laude) from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in international relations from Johns Hopkins University School of International Studies along with a J.D. Arizona State University. As an international business consultant; lectured as a visiting professor at Templeton College (Oxford University), the JFK School of Government (Harvard University), the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade, and the Universidad del Pacifico (Quito, Ecuador). He is professor emeritus at Thunderbird (The American Graduate School of International Management) and an author of two books on the Kennedy administration as well as numerous articles and monographs on presidential history, foreign policy, international trade, and political risk.

Served as Secretary of State: Sept. 11, 1997 – 2002 Born: Jan. 10, 1944, Phoenix, Maricopa County, Ariz. Bayless was appointed as secretary by Gov. Jane Dee Hull who had succeeded to the governorship. She was later elected by voters to the office on Nov. 3, 1998, and took the oath of office Jan. 4, 1999. Bayless speaks Spanish and earned her Bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies and Spanish from the University of Arizona

Served as Secretary of State: Jan. 26, 2009 – 2014 Born: Aug. 1, 1959, Tucson, Pima County, Ariz. Ken Bennett was appointed by Gov. Jan Brewer to replace her as secretary of state, and took the oath of office on Jan. 26, 2009. Bennett was subsequently elected by the voters to the office on Nov. 2, 2010. Prior to becoming secretary, Bennett had served as Arizona State Senate President.