Brock Adams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brock Adams
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| United States Senator from Washington |
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| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Slade Gorton |
| Succeeded by | Patty Murray |
| 5th United States Secretary of Transportation | |
| In office January 23, 1977 – July 20, 1979 |
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| President | Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by | William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Neil Goldschmidt |
| Chair of the House Budget Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Al Ullman |
| Succeeded by | Robert Giaimo |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 7th district |
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| In office January 3, 1965 – January 22, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | K. William Stinson |
| Succeeded by | Jack Cunningham |
| United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington | |
| In office 1961–1964 |
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| President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
| Preceded by | Charles Moriarty |
| Succeeded by | William Goodwin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Brockman Adams
January 13, 1927 Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | September 10, 2004 (aged 77) Stevensville, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Mary Adams |
| Education | University of Washington, Seattle (BA) Harvard University (LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1944–1946 |
Brockman Adams (January 13, 1927 – September 10, 2004) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat from Washington, Adams served as a U.S. Representative, Senator, and United States Secretary of Transportation. He was forced to retire in January 1993.
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Early life and education
Adams was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended public schools in Portland, Oregon and Seattle, graduating in 1944 from Broadway High School in Seattle. He attended the University of Washington at Seattle where, in 1948, he was elected president of the student government (ASUW) and was the first student to both serve in that post and receive the President's Medal of Excellence as the University's top scholar. In 1949, Mary Maxwell served as secretary to ASUW president Adams. Later that year, Adams introduced Maxwell to his friend and her future husband, William Henry Gates II. He graduated in 1949 and was admitted to Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1952.
Adams was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.
Adams served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946, and was admitted to the Washington state bar in 1952, opening a private practice in Seattle. He was a member of the American Bar Association.
Adams taught law at the American Institute of Banking from 1954 to 1960, and served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Washington from 1961 to 1964.
Political career
U.S. House of Representatives
Adams was elected as a Democrat to the House and served six terms beginning January 3, 1965. He was chairman of the newly created Budget Committee during the 94th Congress, and was considered a strong candidate for Speaker of the House.
Secretary of Transportation
On January 22, 1977, Adams resigned to become the fifth Secretary of Transportation following his appointment by President Jimmy Carter and confirmation by the Senate.
Adams's willingness to plunge into controversial issues during his time as Transportation Secretary was evident in the contrasting assessments of his tenure and accomplishments during a tumultuous period in transportation. The Wall Street Journal in 1979 called him the "biggest disappointment" in the Carter cabinet, while Public Citizen President Joan Claybrook, who led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under Adams, called him "absolutely one of the best transportation secretaries we've ever had".
After resigning his Cabinet post on July 20, 1979, Adams resumed law practice, this time in Washington, D.C., where he was a lobbyist for CSX Corporation and other railroad carriers.
U.S. Senator
On November 4, 1986, Adams was elected to the U.S. Senate, narrowly defeating incumbent Republican Slade Gorton with 50.66% of the vote. Serving one term, he compiled a liberal record and was strongly supportive of his party's leadership.
Death
In retirement, Adams lived in Stevensville, Maryland. He died of complications from Parkinson's disease.
See also
- Lobbying in the United States
