Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 256

AW2 The Arizona Republic Sunday, February 21, 1985 VU LJ t-u k. Aft rrx nl(o) Editor Mary Lou Bessette Art director Wendy Govier Writers Women who govern Keven Ann Willey Women who create Barbara Rose Introduction, Women who care Judy Hille Women who educate Jacquee G. Petchel Women who communicate Marsha McCreadie Women who work Kathie Price Photographer Peter Schlueter Artists Cover Maggie Delbon Women who govern Lynn Taber-Borcherdt Women who create Patti Valdez Women who care Kateri Dufault Women who educate Suzanne Klotz-Reilly Women who communicate I'll I Susan Weller I Women who work i Wendv Govier Layout editor Linda Vachata Copy editor Holly D. Remy Sandra O'Connor On 7, 1981, President Reagan nominated the person who would be the 10'Jnd judge on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Hut the appointment also was a first. It was the (lay Sandra O'Connor, an Arizona Court of Appeals judge, was nominated for a seat in the highest judicial branch of the U.S. government. She became the first woman ever appointed to the Hifi-year old court. It was a far cry from the Lay cattle ranch near Hmcan, in southeastern Arizona, where O'Connor grew up.

Fven in those days, however, she frequently was the only woman in a group of men. She rode with men in roundups, even through law school, and reportedly was a good shot wit a rifle. O'Connor was graduated with honors from Stanford University in slight he scores of women who made great strides in the early days. Women like Frances Lillian Willard Munds, an Arizona champion of woman suffrage who in 1914 became the first woman elected to the state Senate and the nation's second female state senator; Isabella Greenway King, a southern Arizona philanthropist who in the became the state's first and only congresswoman; and Loma E. Lockwood, a former legislator who in 1965 became the first woman in the United States to serve as chief justice of a state supreme court.

Such landmarks, however, have been difficult to achieve. In the early days, the usual way for a woman to become active in government was to be appointed to the position, most often to succeed a husband who hail died in office. Occasionally, women would run for office on their own and win. Usually, this was only after they had raised a family and their children were grown and gone. The infusion of hundreds of women into the system, especially young women with differing goals and perspectives, is sure to leave its mark on the progress of Arizona.

O'Connor's only job offer was to be a legal secretary for the Los Angeles law firm of Gibson, Dunn Crutcher the firm for which outgoing U.S. Attorney General William French Smith had worked and to which he plans to return. Undaunted, O'Connor landed a job as deputy county attorney in San Mateo County, Calif. She and her husband, lawyer John O'Connor, who she married in 1952, eventually moved to Arizona, where her career was interrupted in the 1950s by the births of three sons. Sandra O'Connor practiced law briefly in Phoenix before being named assistant attorney general, serving from 19(i5-()9.

She was appointed to the state Senate 1o fill a vacancy in 19G9 and was re-elected for two more terms. In 1972, she was elected Senate majority leader by her peers, the first Arizona woman ever to hold the post. She later decided to return to law and became a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. Four years later, Gov. Hruce Babbitt, a '4 tvlVt Lina Rodriguez I Carolyn 35; Pima County Superior Court judge since 1984; attorney representing Valley National Bank, Arizona Daily Star, others, 1977-84; graduated from University of Arizona Law School 1977; grew up in Oracle, a southern Arizona mining town.

38; legislator 1982; first woman House from County; Bell sales one daughter; on Leadership Education Advancement Phoenix 1978-79; native. A popular cigarette commercial used to boast "You've come a Ion); way, baby." What began as a vignette of a woman denied the privileges of an all-male social organization usually ended with a confident, executive-looking woman basking in new-found equality. Such sentiment also could apply to the progress women have made in Arizona government In the early days, they most often were active as support figures and social coordinators for their husbands, who were involved in government. Now women are recognized for their direc involvement in governing our state some have ascended to higher office than any Arizona man. Four years ago, Sandra O'Connor, a state Appeals Court judge, became the first woman to sit on the U.S.

Supreme Court. Arizona's second-ranking state official, Secretary of State Rose Mofford, consistently has been a top vote-getter at the polls. Nearly one-fifth of the Legislature's IK) members are women. This is not to imply that all this progress happened only yesterday. To leave such an impression would t4i Although she was never part of the organized women's movement, Sandra O'Connor has struck several blows for women's issues.

19o() and received her law degree two years later. Despite graduating near the top of her class, 5 'Z' Nonia Johnson I 47; first woman mayor of Snowflake; elected Town Council 1981; homemaker, with three grown sons, who "saw some changes that needed to be executive committee member, League of Arizona Cities and Towns; St. Johns native. paint discoloration: caused by bieech 14 is. Sres Irv Ho mftrlrat inr its i I I 1 1 i 5 t-fi A fj I 3 i 4 Democrat, appointed her to the Arizona Court of Appeals.

While in the Legislature, O'Connor was the first Arizona lawmaker to introduce the federal Equal Rights Amendment for ratification after it was approved by Congress in March 1972. She backed away alter Arizona's two U.S. senators, Harry Goldwater and Paul Fannin, made it clear they opposed it. Some say she may never have been named to the Supreme Court if she had taken on Goldwater over the amendment. All hough she was never part of the organized women's movement, O'Connor has struck several blows for women's issues.

In Arizona, she successfully fought a legal ethic prohibiting husbands and wives from working in different law firms in the same city. While in the Senate, she initiated changes in state community-property tax laws allowing women to manage and control community property. Noted as a conservative on the bench with a noticeable streak of independence, O'Connor, 51, Walker Mary Riley 78; one of the first women to serve on the White Mountain Apache Tribal Council; lobbied Congress many times on Indian issues; retired after 20 years' service; mother of four, grandmother and great-grandmother. ISM1 generally lines up with Chief -Justice Warren Burger and former schoolmate -Justice William H. Rehnquist.

She has differed with them, however, on freedoin-of-information issues, sex discrimination and some civil-rights matters. O'Connor declined last month to be interviewed for this special section, citing the time constraints her job imposes. She agreed, however, to respond in writing to a brief series of quest ions. Here are the questions that were submitted and her written comments. QUESTION: What sparked your interest in pursuing a (areer, a relatively unusual course of action for a young woman in the 19H( and '10s? And why a career in law.

certainly not the most common profession in southeastern Arizona at the time? ANSWER: My original career goal was to be a cattle rancher like my father. I still think it is a wonderful way of life, hut due to the enormous capital investment required and the very slender profit margin, few people today are able to exist as single-family ranchers or farmers. I became interested in law because of an inspiring professor of business law at Stanford University, Dr. Marry Hatbun. He sparked an interest which never waned.

My grandmother, Mamie Scott Wiikey, encouraged me. She thought I could accomplish almost anything. I didn't believe her. hot she surely helped keep me going. Who had the greatest influence on you or on your deci-'n to pursue a career? Who wen- your role models as a child? Who your role models now? As a youngster, I never thought in terms of having "role models." Looking back, 1 am sure that admira'ion ot my father was a significant influence on my decision to pursue a career.

What was your biggest surprise about the Supreme Court? What was the Supreme Court's biggest surprise about you? No answer. A popular Virginia used to declare "You've come a long way, baby." Do you agree with this assessment of women's roles in society, and to what do you attribute that change? Women in our nation have made extraordinary gains over the last or 40 years in attaining greater access to non-traditional jobs and in gaining popular acceptance of the notion that wives' and mot hers' places are not just at home, but also in the work force. These changes are the result of heightened awareness of the concerns of women and their strong desire for equal opportunity. Have you suffered any specific instances of sexual discrimination? What happened, and how did you overcome them? As you are aware, mv own career experienece is rather typical of the professional women graduates of the early '50s. Indeed, upon graduation from Stanford Law School, I was unsuccessful in obtaining employment in a private law firm in California.

None of the larger irms had ever hired a woman attorney in those days and had no plans to do so. I went to work in the public sector instead, where opportunities were greater for women. What prompted you to take on both a career and a family and not sacrifice one for the oilier, as many other women have felt the need 1o do? Is it any harder for a woman to tackle both challenges successfully than a man'1 Why or why not0 It is not easy to manage the roles of wife, mother and career woman all at once. It is possible if oii have plenty of energy and if you are reasonably efficient at home and at the office. At various one role or the other will sutler a bit.

For me, my family always came first. Hut 1 derive satisfaction from working at my profession, and I always have. There was never anv doubt in my mind that 1 would continue to work outside my home. I have had a wonderful life. There are millions of other women in our country who also succeed in achieving the career goals as well as ha ing a rewarding family life.

jkiH-; p. 'it Bette DeGraw 38; deputy director, Department of Economic Security, supervising $900 million budget in state's largest agency; former Arizona State University social work professor; former legislative staffer in New Jersey and Arizona Judy 45; first elected County Supervisors, her third children; Sierra Vista government; Republican treasurer Cochise Republican chairwoman Gignac woman Cochise Board of now in term; two active in state Party 1976-78; County 1972-75. since black elected to Maricopa Mountain executive; served and for the of Commission Yuma kV, Ir- iTOA -WAS SMOOTH AS CEDAR It isn't hard to spot cedar shutters. They look smooth-they feel smooth-they are smooth I As smooth as cpdte and thev stav that wav. Next time you see a shutter, take a good look.

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