Freeport-McMoRan’s Miami operations honored the first woman governor of Arizona through its sponsorship of a float in the 2022 Fiesta Bowl Parade held Saturday in Phoenix.
The theme for the 50th edition of the parade was “Legends Made Here,” and the float created by the Globe High School Alumni Association honored Globe native Rose Mofford, who became Arizona’s first woman governor in 1988.
“Miami Operations could not be more thrilled that we were able to support the Globe High School Alumni Association’s grand plan to honor Rose Mofford with a float during the Fiesta Bowl Parade,” said Mark Albertsen, General Manager-Miami. “The theme for this long-storied parade, Legends Made Here, honors our most beloved homegrown legend from Globe-Miami, Rose Mofford.”
The float celebrates important aspects of Mofford’s life, not the least of which was mining. Her father was a local miner, and the Globe-Miami area – home to not only the company’s Miami smelter but also its rod mill and refinery – has been an epicenter for copper mining since the Old Dominion Mine opened in 1880 and began attracting residents to the area.
Born June 10, 1922, Mofford began her 51-year career in Arizona government as a secretary and rose to become the state’s first woman secretary of state in 1977. She vacated that office 11 years later, when she became governor. Mofford served from 1988 to 1991, and passed away September 15, 2016.
More than 85 entries and a combination of more than 3,000 men, women, children and animals participate annually in the Fiesta Bowl Parade. About 100,000 people attend the parade, making it the state’s largest-attended single event.
In the photos above (clockwise from top left): A model of Mofford rides in the lead car of the parade float; float participants dressed as Mofford carry signs celebrating some of her key accomplishments; members of the Globe High School Alumni Association and local actors who staffed the float prepare for the start of the parade; an actor dressed as an old-time miner passes candy to parade goers while a vintage truck pulls the float through the route; Freeport’s name was proudly displayed on the back of the float.