Fife Symington | |
|---|---|
 Symington in 2017 | |
| 19th Governor of Arizona | |
| In office March 6, 1991 – September 5, 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Rose Mofford |
| Succeeded by | Jane Dee Hull |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Fife Symington III August 12, 1945 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Ann Olin Pritzlaff (m. 1976) |
| Parent |
|
| Education | Harvard University (AB) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1967–1971 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Awards | Bronze Star |
John Fife Symington III (/faɪf ˈsaɪmɪŋtən/ fyfe SY-ming-tən; born August 12, 1945) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 19th governor of Arizona from 1991 until his resignation in 1997. A member of the Republican Party, he resigned from office following convictions on charges of extortion and bank fraud – convictions which were later overturned. Prior to entering politics, Symington served in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona.
A native of New York City, Symington attended the Gilman School in Baltimore; he subsequently graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Dutch art history. Symington comes from a political family: his father, J. Fife Symington Jr., served as Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago; his cousin Stuart Symington was a U.S. Senator from Missouri. After joining the Air Force in 1967 and achieving the rank of captain, Symington was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service. He was honorably discharged in 1971. He remained in Arizona and became a real estate developer, founding his own company, the Symington Company, in 1976.
Symington was elected to the governorship in 1990 over Democratic Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard, following a close campaign that resulted in a runoff election. During his first term, Symington established charter schools in Arizona by signing sweeping education reform legislation, with the first charter schools opening in the state in 1995. The following year, during his second term, Symington signed legislation to establish the Arizona Water Bank Authority as a separate agency, allowing excess water to be acquired from the Central Arizona Project and banked in Arizona for future necessity. His term in office also oversaw the first temporary closure of Grand Canyon National Park during the federal government shutdown in November 1995. In 1997, Symington was convicted on seven counts of bank fraud, and resigned from office, but the convictions were later overturned. Before the government could retry him, Symington was pardoned in January 2001 by President Bill Clinton, whom he once saved from a rip tide off of Connecticut during his youth.
After his term as governor, Symington left public service and pursued a career as a chef, later co-founding the Arizona Culinary Institute with his business partners Jerry Moyes, Darren Leite and chef Robert E. Wilson. He has been speculated as a possible candidate for another term as Governor of Arizona, as well as considered running for the United States Senate, but has only endorsed candidates since leaving the Governor's office. Symington is also known as a witness to the infamous Phoenix Lights, a mass UFO sighting which occurred in Phoenix, Arizona on March 13, 1997.