Alumnus and Former State Legislator George Cunningham Remembered

Today
George Cunningham, in a cream colored suit and wearing glasses, stands in front of a brightly colored piece of art

The College of Social and Behavioral Sciences remembers George Cunningham, a two-time alumnus of the School of Government and Public Policy. Cunningham earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public administration from the University of Arizona, where he began a lifelong commitment to public service that would impact Arizona’s civic landscape.

Cunningham built a distinguished career in public administration and state politics. His contributions began as an Army Reservist and expanded into local government when he served as assistant city manager of South Tucson while completing his graduate program at the U of A. He went on to hold key leadership roles at the university, including serving as Vice President for Administrative Services from 1985 to 1988. Cunningham later became chief of staff to Arizona Governor Rose Mofford before entering elected office himself. He served five years in the Arizona House of Representatives and in 1997 was elected to the Arizona Senate. He also served as budget director to Governor Janet Napolitano, holding the position throughout both of her terms in office.

 “George R. Cunningham led a truly inspiring career in public service. All of us in the school are proud to be able to call him one of our own,” wrote Alex Braithwaite, director of the School of Government and Public Policy. “We are grateful to him and his family for supporting generations of students in the Master of Public Administration program through the George R. Cunningham Scholarship.”

Cunningham’s legacy of service continues through his son, Paul Cunningham, a Tucson City Council member and alumnus of the University of Arizona Department of History.

“I learned a lot from my father about politics, policy, and public service,” Paul wrote in a May 6 obituary in the Tucson Sentinel. “I’m proud to have him as a father and happy I can carry on in his footsteps. He was my best friend.”

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To contribute to George Cunningham’s legacy of service, leadership, and civic responsibility, click here.