Eva Adams

Eva Bertrand Adams (1908–1991) was the Director of the United States Mint from 1961 to 1969.

Eva Adams was born in Wonder, Nevada on September 10, 1908, the daughter of Verner Laur Adams and his wife Cora (Varble) Adams. Her father worked for mining magnate George Wingfield, and was responsible for setting up hotels, commissaries, and bars in Wingfield's mining camps. As such, the family moved around from camp to camp for several years before Adams' mother insisted the family settle down and they settled in Reno, Nevada. Adams graduated from Reno High School at age 14. She then attended the University of Nevada, Reno, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, graduating in 1928, at age 19.

After graduating from college, Adams moved to Las Vegas, Nevada to become a teacher at Las Vegas High School. During this time, she became involved with the Clark County Democratic Party and was introduced to Pat McCarran.

Adams then attended graduate school at Columbia University, receiving a master's degree in English in 1936. She also went on to obtain an LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center and an LL.D. from American University.

She returned to Nevada in 1940 to briefly join the English department of the University of Nevada, Reno; shortly thereafter, Pat McCarran, by now United States Senator for Nevada, invited her to move to Washington, D.C. to become his Administrative Assistant. She worked for Senator McCarran until his death in 1954. She then worked for McCarran's successor, Ernest S. Brown, in 1954, and then Alan Bible from 1954 to 1960.

In 1961, President of the United States John F. Kennedy named Adams Director of the United States Mint, and Adams subsequently held that office from October 1961 until August 1969.

Upon retiring from government service in 1969, Adams worked for Mutual of Omaha for a while, before returning home to Reno.

Adams died in Reno on August 23, 1991.