Eva Adams

Eva Adams (September 10, 1908 – August 23, 1991) was an American government official who was the director of the United States Mint from 1961 to 1969.

Biography Eva Bertrand Adams was born in Wonder, Nevada, on September 10, 1908, the daughter of Verner Laur Adams and his wife Cora (Varble) Adams. During Eva's childhood, the Adams family moved around the state often as her father was called out to work to set up numerous facilities in mining camps for Wingfield. These facilities included hotels, commissaries, and bars. Owing to the frequent re-locating in her early years she learned independence and how to make friends easily, and adapted to be happy wherever she was. Eventually Adams' mother insisted the family settle down in Reno, Nevada. graduating in 1928, at age 19. Reno; shortly thereafter, McCarran, by now United States Senator for Nevada, invited her to move to Washington, D.C., to become his Administrative Assistant. Eva Adams also attended law school in Washington D.C. while working for Senator McCarran at the time. She graduated from the Washington College of Law and George Washington University, receiving an LL.B and Master's in Law from each institution respectively. She became a member of the Nevada and District of Columbia Bars, and for her efforts, she was admitted to practice before the Supreme Court in 1954. In 1983, she was quoted at a reception to honour the publishing of her oral history, "you know, in my day in Washington, a woman administrative assistant was expected to: Dress like a queen, act like a lady, think like a man, work like a dog.” where she had a significant impact. She cleaned up processes and made them more efficient. The Mint was able formulate a copper-nickel clad composition for coinage, substituting out the silver which was order by Congress to be removed from coins, since they cost more than the coins in their face value She was present during The Coinage Act of 1965, which eliminated silver from the American dime and quarter.

Adams died in Reno on August 23, 1991, at the age of 82. She served the US mint for eight years, and is said by the funeral home to have died of natural causes. Degree Institution Year Bachelor of Arts University of Nevada 1928 Master's degree in English Columbia University 1936 Bachelor of Laws Degree American University 1948 Master in Law George Washington University 1952 Doctorate in Law American University Unknown

Awards and distinctions

The Alumni Achievement Award at the George Washington University (1962) Nevada's Outstanding Women of the Century (1973) NLG "Clemy" Award (1974) ANA Medal of Merit (1984) Nevada Women's Fund Hall of Fame (1985) Elected into ANA Hall of Fame (1986)