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Eva Bertrand Adams
September 10, 1908 –
August 23, 1991
Eva B. Adams, a native Nevadan, brought great pride to her home
state through her active and fruitful public careers. Adams' devotion
to education is evident in the five degrees she earned from prestigious
universities in Nevada and Washington, D.C. Along with her career
in education, Adams worked in administrative positions for three
senators and was appointed Director of the U.S. Mint by presidents
Kennedy and Johnson.
Adams was born in Wonder, Nevada in 1908. After high school she
earned her first degree from the University of Nevada, Reno. In 1928,
at the age of nineteen, she moved to southern Nevada to teach at
Las Vegas High School. Adams experience there urged her to continue
her education. She next attended Columbia University where she earned
her first Master's Degree. Adams returned to Las Vegas to serve
as the Assistant Dean of Women at her first Alma Mater, the University
of Nevada, Reno.
In 1940, Adams' career shifted when she accepted a position
with Senator Pat McCarran as his Administrative Assistant and moved
to Washington, D.C. While there, she earned her law degree from Washington
College of Law and her second Master's at George Washington
University. She later served as Administrative Assistant to Senators
Ernest Brown and Alan Bible. Adams' hard work and dedication
in Capital Hill earned her an appointment by President John F. Kennedy
as Director of the U.S. Mint in 1961. She is the second woman in
history to receive this honor. She received a reappointment in 1966
from President Lyndon B. Johnson due to her extraordinary achievements
at the U.S. Mint.
Adams retired from the government in 1969 and went on to serve as
a consultant to the Chairman of the Board for the Mutual of Omaha
insurance company. Although she retired, Adams remained active in
the affairs of Washington, D.C. through her participation with the
U.S. Senate Association of Administrative Assistants and Executive
Secretaries. She was also a member of the President's Commission
on White House Fellows. Adams received numerous awards and honors
for her outstanding achievements both in government and within the
community service sector. These awards have come from the U.S. Treasury
Department, educational institutions, and private organizations.
Eva B. Adams died in Reno, Nevada, on August 23, 1991.
- For further biographical information:
“Eva Adams.” 1999. The first 100:
Portraits of the Men and Women who Shaped Las Vegas. Edited by A.D. Hopkins and
K.J. Evans. Huntington Press. Pp. 139-140.
Photo courtesy of UNR Special Collections. May not be reproduced
without special permission of UNR Special Collections
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