Eva Adams
Dublin Core
Title
Eva Adams
Subject
Source
Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project
Publisher
Women's Research Institute of Nevada (WRIN)
Rights
This resource is available for education and research purposes. This collection is a collaboration and combination of various projects including, but not limited to; the Women in Nevada History: A Legacy Digital Project, the Nevada Women’s Archives, the Las Vegas Women Oral History Project and the Makers: Women in Nevada History Project, a co-production of the Women's Research Institute of Nevada and VegasPBS. The text, images, audio and video in this collection are under copyright by different repositories and may not be reproduced without express written consent of the appropriate entities.
Person Item Type Metadata
Work/Contribution
Director of the U.S. Mint (1961-1969), Assistant to Senator McCarran, lawyer,
Birth Date
September 10, 1908
Birthplace
Death Date
August 23, 1991
Biographical Text
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.
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.
Bibliography
“Eva Adams.” In The first 100: Portraits of the Men and Women who Shaped Las Vegas. Edited by A.D. Hopkins and K.J. Evans, 139-140. Las Vegas: Huntington Press, 1999.
Eva Bertrand Adams, “Windows of Washington: Nevada education, the U. S. Senate, the U. S. Mint,” University of Nevada, Reno. Oral History Project (1982), Special Collections and Archives, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Transcript Available on Internet Archive via University of Nevada-Reno Oral History Collection.
Bixler, W.K. A dozen Sierra success stories: twelve individualists of our time: Eva Adams, Norman Biltz, Paul Claiborne, Clel Georgetta, Harvey Gross, Raymond Knisley, Wayne Poulsen, George Probasco, Archie D. Stevenot, Lester D. Summerfield, Harvey West, Jim A.E. Wilson. Tahoe Valley, California, 1964.
Eva Bertrand Adams, “Windows of Washington: Nevada education, the U. S. Senate, the U. S. Mint,” University of Nevada, Reno. Oral History Project (1982), Special Collections and Archives, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Transcript Available on Internet Archive via University of Nevada-Reno Oral History Collection.
Bixler, W.K. A dozen Sierra success stories: twelve individualists of our time: Eva Adams, Norman Biltz, Paul Claiborne, Clel Georgetta, Harvey Gross, Raymond Knisley, Wayne Poulsen, George Probasco, Archie D. Stevenot, Lester D. Summerfield, Harvey West, Jim A.E. Wilson. Tahoe Valley, California, 1964.
Collection
Citation
“Eva Adams,” Makers Teaching Modules, accessed September 4, 2026, https://makersteachingmodules.sites.unlv.edu/items/show/1.