Welcome to Arizona Capitol Times third annual edition of Leaders of the Year in Public Policy.

This awards program was created in 2007 to recognize the contributions of policy professionals across the state. It is a salute to those who advance public policy by implementing and championing creative strategies to positively impact the state and the lives of Arizonans, without regard to partisanship or political affiliation.

Though Marshall Trimble grew up in Ash Fork, a small town 40 miles west of Flagstaff, he was first introduced to Southwest history 40 years ago while working as a cowboy in Montana, driving cattle from the Big Sky State into train stockyards in Arizona.”It was like turning the clock back 100 years,” said Trimble, Arizona’s state historian.

To say that much has occurred since the 2008 Leaders of the Year in Public Policy Awards event is quite an understatement. An economic meltdown leading to a near-depression, the election of the first African-American to the U.S. presidency, a changing of the guard in the Executive Tower and chaos in the Legislature while attempting to deal with Arizona’s worst budget deficit ever are just a few of the tumultuous events that mark the past 12 months

Marshall Trimble is Arizona’s official state historian, as first decreed by former Gov. Fife Symington in 1996. The appointment was made official in 1997. Each successive year, the sitting governor has reappointed him.
Here he is, providing the first thought that came to his mind when given a specific year:
1906
Arizona rangers still trying to bring [...]

Follow our history one piece at a time and see how we’ve grown. The covers below span time from Arizona Capitol Times first incarnation as The Messenger through time as The Arizona Legislative Review. The more we change, the more we stay the same, right?
The Arizona Legislative Review, Dec. 9, 1964:
Top Stories:
A state lottery was [...]

The Times Past section is a weekly staple of the Arizona Capitol Times. It began as an old photograph feature started by Ned Creighton’s wife, Diana. With contributors from around the state, the feature provides another perspective on people and events that have shaped Arizona, and often touches on issues that still exist today. Here [...]

Still fancy yourself an authority on Arizona history? Answer these questions to find out how you stack up.
1. What happened to the original community of San Carlos?
2. What New York City mayor spent his boyhood as a son of an Army bandmaster at Forts Huachuca and Whipple?
3. What famous gangster [...]

Still fancy yourself an authority on Arizona history? Answer these questions to find out how you stack up.
What year was each of the following items recognized as an official state symbol?
1. State Seal: Shield plus motto Ditat Deus
2. State Colors: Blue and Gold
3. State Flag
4. State Song: The Arizona March Song
5. State Flower: Saguaro Blossom
6. [...]

Fancy yourself an authority on Arizona history? Answer these questions to find out how you stack up.
1. In 1864, Arizona’s first capital was established. Where was it?
2. Where was the first permanent U.S. military post established in Arizona in 1851?
3. What year did Phoenix become the permanent capital of Arizona?
4. On [...]

1900s
The referendum on joint statehood with New Mexico.
1910s
The Constitutional Convention, statewide prohibition and the Hunt-Campbell fiasco over the governorship.
1920s
The Colorado River Compact allocating water to the state..
1930s
The Federal Stock Reduction Program of 1934, which resulted in the Navajo Sheep Reduction Act. It had a devastating affect both economically and emotionally on Arizona’s [...]