Fife Symington III
Encyclopedia
John Fife Symington III is an American businessman and the former Governor of the U.S. state
of Arizona
from 1991 until his resignation in 1997.
family; he is a great-grandson of steel magnate Henry Clay Frick
, and his father J. Fife Symington Jr.
(1910–2007) was United States ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago
1969-1971. His cousin, Stuart Symington
, was a U.S. Senator
from Missouri
and father of James Wadsworth Symington, a U.S. Representative
from that state. He is married to the former Ann Olin Pritzlaff, an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church and an heiress of the Olin family
. They have five children and four grandchildren.
He attended the prestigious Gilman School
in Baltimore, then attended Harvard University
, graduating in 1968 with a degree in Dutch art history
and was a member of the Porcellian Club
. He served in the United States Air Force
during the Vietnam War
, stationed at Luke Air Force Base
in Maricopa County, Arizona
. He remained in Arizona and became involved in real estate development, founding his own company, the Symington Company, in 1976.
, the former mayor of Phoenix
, in the November general election. The presence of four write-in candidates resulted in Symington and Goddard being virtually tied, with Symington ahead by only 4,300 votes. Arizona had adopted runoff voting
in general elections if no candidate receives 50% of the vote. This came after the controversial Evan Mecham
had been elected governor in 1986 with only 43% of the vote. As a result, a runoff was held on February 26, 1991; which Symington won with 52% of the vote. (Arizona returned to plurality voting
in 1992.)
Symington was sworn into office on March 6, 1991. During his first term, the governor was the subject of an investigation over his involvement with Southwest Savings and Loan, a failed Phoenix thrift. He was later cleared, and won reelection handily in 1994.
was shut down for the first time ever in November 1995, because of the federal budget impasse. On November 17, Symington's response came very close to creating a national crisis. Symington, citing the dire effects of the park's closure on tourism, stated that the "Grand Canyon must remain open, by force, if necessary." The Pentagon
warned the head of the Arizona National Guard
against the use of force and raised the possibility that, if necessary, the guard would be federalized and brought under the control of the White House
. The governor decided to go ahead and, accompanied by the Speaker of the House
, fifty unarmed National Guard troops, twenty-five state Park Department employees, and other people, traveled to the canyon. When Symington's group arrived, Symington beat on the park gates in front of the media.
The United States Department of Interior later reopened the park under state supervision. A federal agency reimbursed Arizona the $370,020 the state donated to keep the Grand Canyon National Park open during the government shutdowns.
Later, Symington was indicted on charges of extortion, making false financial statements, and of bank fraud. He was convicted of bank fraud in 1997. As Arizona state law does not allow convicted felons to hold office, Symington resigned his office on September 5, 1997.
This conviction, however, was overturned in 1999 by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
. Six days into jury deliberations, the trial judge had granted the government's motion to dismiss a juror who was leaning toward acquittal because the other jurors complained she was refusing to deliberate with them, a serious breach of the juror's oath. A three-judge panel of the appeals court ruled 2-1 that there was a reasonable possibility that the juror had actually been removed because the rest of the jury was frustrated that she did not agree with them. The appeals court ruled that Symington was entitled to that juror's vote, and her dismissal violated Symington's right to a fair trial. Before the government could retry him, Symington was pardoned by President Clinton
, whom Symington had once saved from a rip tide off of Cape Cod, near the end of his presidency in January 2001. The pardon terminated the federal government's seven year battle with the former governor.
On February 4, 2005, in an interview with the Arizona Republic, Symington expressed interest in running for governor in 2006 against Democrat Janet Napolitano
, setting the state political landscape abuzz. However, three months later, on May 5, he withdrew his name from consideration, saying that he wanted to focus his energy on The Symington Group. In an interview with KPHO-TV
in Phoenix, Symington said, "I've been thinking about it, doing a lot of soul searching, talking to a lot of friends. But for me, I've done that...I don't want to run for governor again."
In November 2006, Symington lost a bid to become the GOP Chair of his local legislative district. The defeat in this district, which also happens to be the home district of John McCain
(whose support he had), was the first electoral defeat of Symington's career.
In April 2007, Symington was named chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
.
event, but noted that he didn't go public with the information.
In an interview with The Daily Courier in Prescott, Symington said:
However, when he was Governor in 1997, Symington promised he would look into the mass sighting, but then quickly ridiculed it at a press conference where he had his chief of staff dress up in an alien costume, telling reporters that they had found the culprit. His explanation today is that as a public official he felt a responsibility to avoid public panic and therefore tried to introduce some levity into the situation.
On November 9, 2007, Symington appeared with a panel of guests discussing their UFO experiences on Larry King Live
. A few days later, on November 12, Symington acted as moderator for a UFO press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Other speakers included U.S./foreign military witnesses/public officials involved in some major UFO cases, such as the 1980 Rendlesham Forest incident
, 1990 Belgium UFO incident, and 1976 Tehran UFO incident
, and heads of some official foreign government UFO investigations, such as Nick Pope
in the U.K. and Claude Poher
of France. They said the phenomenon was quite real, should be taken seriously, and urged that the U.S. reopen its public UFO investigation.
Symington also appeared as a witness of the Phoenix Lights in an updated version of the 2002 UFO documentary Out of the Blue
by filmmaker James Fox. Fox helped organize the witness panels for both the Larry King show and followup National Press Club event.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
from 1991 until his resignation in 1997.
Background
Symington comes from a wealthy MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
family; he is a great-grandson of steel magnate Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick
Henry Clay Frick was an American industrialist, financier, and art patron. He founded the H. C. Frick & Company coke manufacturing company, was chairman of the Carnegie Steel Company, and played a major role in the formation of the giant U.S. Steel steel manufacturing concern...
, and his father J. Fife Symington Jr.
J. Fife Symington Jr.
John Fife Symington, Jr. was the United States diplomat to Trinidad and Tobago and an airline pioneer.-Early life:...
(1910–2007) was United States ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
1969-1971. His cousin, Stuart Symington
Stuart Symington
William Stuart Symington was a businessman and political figure from Missouri. He served as the first Secretary of the Air Force from 1947 to 1950 and was a Democratic United States Senator from Missouri from 1953 to 1976.-Education and business career:...
, was a U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and father of James Wadsworth Symington, a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from that state. He is married to the former Ann Olin Pritzlaff, an ordained deacon in the Episcopal Church and an heiress of the Olin family
Franklin W. Olin
Franklin Walter Olin was the founder of the Olin Corporation.He was born in Woodford, Vermont and his father built mills and waterwheels. He studied civil engineering at Cornell University, where he also played baseball; he would play as an outfielder in the American Association for two seasons...
. They have five children and four grandchildren.
He attended the prestigious Gilman School
Gilman School
Gilman School is a private preparatory school for boys located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the United States. Gilman enrolls approximately 978 students, ranging from kindergarten to...
in Baltimore, then attended Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, graduating in 1968 with a degree in Dutch art history
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and was a member of the Porcellian Club
Porcellian Club
The Porcellian Club is a men's-only final club at Harvard University, sometimes called the Porc or the P.C. The year of founding is usually given as 1791, when a group began meeting under the name "the Argonauts," or as 1794, the year of the roast pig dinner at which the club, known first as "the...
. He served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, stationed at Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base
Luke Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located seven miles west of the central business district of Glendale, in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is also about west of Phoenix, Arizona....
in Maricopa County, Arizona
Maricopa County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*73.0% White*5.0% Black*2.1% Native American*3.5% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.5% Two or more races*12.7% Other races*29.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. He remained in Arizona and became involved in real estate development, founding his own company, the Symington Company, in 1976.
First term (1991 - 1995)
Symington ran for governor of Arizona in 1990, taking 44% of the vote in the Republican primary in a field of four candidates. He ran against Democrat Terry GoddardTerry Goddard
Samuel Pearson "Terry" Goddard III was the Attorney General of Arizona, from 2003 to 2011, who also served as Mayor of Phoenix, Arizona from 1984 to 1990....
, the former mayor of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, in the November general election. The presence of four write-in candidates resulted in Symington and Goddard being virtually tied, with Symington ahead by only 4,300 votes. Arizona had adopted runoff voting
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
in general elections if no candidate receives 50% of the vote. This came after the controversial Evan Mecham
Evan Mecham
Evan Mecham was the 17th Governor of Arizona. A decorated veteran of World War II, Mecham earned his living as an automotive dealership owner and occasional newspaper publisher...
had been elected governor in 1986 with only 43% of the vote. As a result, a runoff was held on February 26, 1991; which Symington won with 52% of the vote. (Arizona returned to plurality voting
Plurality voting system
The plurality voting system is a single-winner voting system often used to elect executive officers or to elect members of a legislative assembly which is based on single-member constituencies...
in 1992.)
Symington was sworn into office on March 6, 1991. During his first term, the governor was the subject of an investigation over his involvement with Southwest Savings and Loan, a failed Phoenix thrift. He was later cleared, and won reelection handily in 1994.
Second term (1995 - 1997)
The Grand Canyon National ParkGrand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
was shut down for the first time ever in November 1995, because of the federal budget impasse. On November 17, Symington's response came very close to creating a national crisis. Symington, citing the dire effects of the park's closure on tourism, stated that the "Grand Canyon must remain open, by force, if necessary." The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
warned the head of the Arizona National Guard
Arizona National Guard
The Arizona National Guard is the National Guard of the American state of Arizona. It consists of the Arizona Army National Guard and the Arizona Air National Guard.Both components are part of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs...
against the use of force and raised the possibility that, if necessary, the guard would be federalized and brought under the control of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The governor decided to go ahead and, accompanied by the Speaker of the House
Newt Gingrich
Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....
, fifty unarmed National Guard troops, twenty-five state Park Department employees, and other people, traveled to the canyon. When Symington's group arrived, Symington beat on the park gates in front of the media.
The United States Department of Interior later reopened the park under state supervision. A federal agency reimbursed Arizona the $370,020 the state donated to keep the Grand Canyon National Park open during the government shutdowns.
Later, Symington was indicted on charges of extortion, making false financial statements, and of bank fraud. He was convicted of bank fraud in 1997. As Arizona state law does not allow convicted felons to hold office, Symington resigned his office on September 5, 1997.
This conviction, however, was overturned in 1999 by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
. Six days into jury deliberations, the trial judge had granted the government's motion to dismiss a juror who was leaning toward acquittal because the other jurors complained she was refusing to deliberate with them, a serious breach of the juror's oath. A three-judge panel of the appeals court ruled 2-1 that there was a reasonable possibility that the juror had actually been removed because the rest of the jury was frustrated that she did not agree with them. The appeals court ruled that Symington was entitled to that juror's vote, and her dismissal violated Symington's right to a fair trial. Before the government could retry him, Symington was pardoned by President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, whom Symington had once saved from a rip tide off of Cape Cod, near the end of his presidency in January 2001. The pardon terminated the federal government's seven year battle with the former governor.
Post-governorship
After graduating from the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale, Symington helped found the Arizona Culinary Institute, a professional cooking school that teaches the classic French method. Symington is a founding partner of The Symington Group, a venture capital and strategic business/political consulting firm.On February 4, 2005, in an interview with the Arizona Republic, Symington expressed interest in running for governor in 2006 against Democrat Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
, setting the state political landscape abuzz. However, three months later, on May 5, he withdrew his name from consideration, saying that he wanted to focus his energy on The Symington Group. In an interview with KPHO-TV
KPHO-TV
KPHO-TV, channel 5, is a CBS-affiliate television station located in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. KPHO-TV is owned by the Meredith Corporation, and has its studios located on Black Canyon Highway in the Alhambra Village section of Phoenix, with its transmitter located on South Mountain in Phoenix...
in Phoenix, Symington said, "I've been thinking about it, doing a lot of soul searching, talking to a lot of friends. But for me, I've done that...I don't want to run for governor again."
In November 2006, Symington lost a bid to become the GOP Chair of his local legislative district. The defeat in this district, which also happens to be the home district of John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
(whose support he had), was the first electoral defeat of Symington's career.
In April 2007, Symington was named chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is a 26 ha garden, containing over 1,000 species of rare and indigenous plants. It is located in Mission Canyon, Santa Barbara, California, USA....
.
UFO sighting
In 2007, Fife said that he had witnessed one of the "crafts of unknown origin" during the 1997 Phoenix LightsPhoenix Lights
The Phoenix Lights were a series of widely sighted unidentified flying objects observed in the skies over the U.S...
event, but noted that he didn't go public with the information.
In an interview with The Daily Courier in Prescott, Symington said:
However, when he was Governor in 1997, Symington promised he would look into the mass sighting, but then quickly ridiculed it at a press conference where he had his chief of staff dress up in an alien costume, telling reporters that they had found the culprit. His explanation today is that as a public official he felt a responsibility to avoid public panic and therefore tried to introduce some levity into the situation.
On November 9, 2007, Symington appeared with a panel of guests discussing their UFO experiences on Larry King Live
Larry King Live
Larry King Live is an American talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was CNN's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly....
. A few days later, on November 12, Symington acted as moderator for a UFO press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Other speakers included U.S./foreign military witnesses/public officials involved in some major UFO cases, such as the 1980 Rendlesham Forest incident
Rendlesham Forest Incident
The Rendlesham Forest Incident is the name given to a series of reported sightings of unexplained lights and the alleged landing of a craft or multiple craft of unknown origin in Rendlesham Forest, Suffolk, England, in late December 1980, just outside RAF Woodbridge, used at the time by the U.S....
, 1990 Belgium UFO incident, and 1976 Tehran UFO incident
1976 Tehran UFO Incident
The 1976 Tehran UFO Incident was a radar and visual sighting of an unidentified flying object over Tehran, the capital of Iran, during the early morning hours of 19 September 1976...
, and heads of some official foreign government UFO investigations, such as Nick Pope
Nick Pope
Nick Pope worked for 21 years at the British Government's Ministry of Defence from 1985 to 2006. He is best-known for a job that he did from 1991 to 1994, where his duties included investigating reports of UFO sightings, to see if they had any defence significance...
in the U.K. and Claude Poher
Claude Poher
Claude Poher Born in 1935, in Brittany, France, parent of Alain Poher who was President of the French Senate for a quarter century.Engineer in space research. Engineer in electronics...
of France. They said the phenomenon was quite real, should be taken seriously, and urged that the U.S. reopen its public UFO investigation.
Symington also appeared as a witness of the Phoenix Lights in an updated version of the 2002 UFO documentary Out of the Blue
Out of the Blue (2002 film)
Out of the Blue is a feature-length documentary on the UFO phenomenon.The film is narrated by Peter Coyote and attempts to show, through interviews with members of the scientific community, eye witnesses and high-ranking military and government personnel, that some unidentified flying objects could...
by filmmaker James Fox. Fox helped organize the witness panels for both the Larry King show and followup National Press Club event.
External links
- Arizona Republic special report on Fife Symington
- Arizona Republic biography of Fife Symington
- Pro-Symington website; tracks positive news coverage
- Summary of the government's investigation
- Scottsdale Culinary institute
- Arizona Culinary institute
- Hostetler, Darrin. "The GOP Menu," Phoenix New TimesPhoenix New TimesThe Phoenix New Times is a free, weekly Phoenix, Arizona newspaper, put out every Thursday. It is the founding publication of the New Times Media , but The Village Voice is now the flagship publication of that company....
, September 5, 1990. - Serrill, Michael. "Bad Debts, Bad Judgments" in TIMETime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, September 15, 1997.