13 Facts About Brock Adams

Brockman Adams was an American lawyer and politician.

Brock Adams was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended public schools in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, graduating in 1944 from Broadway High School in Seattle.

Brock Adams attended the University of Washington where, in 1948, he was elected president of the student government 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.

Later that year, Brock Adams introduced Maxwell to his friend and her future husband, William Henry Gates II.

Brock Adams graduated in 1949 and was admitted to Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1952.

Brock Adams served in the US Navy from 1944 to 1946, and was admitted to the Washington state bar in 1952, opening a private practice in Seattle.

Brock Adams was a member of the American Bar Association.

Brock 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.

Brock Adams was elected as a Democrat to the House and served six terms beginning January 3,1965.

Brock Adams was chairman of the newly created Budget Committee during the 94th Congress, and was considered a strong candidate for Speaker of the House.

On January 22,1977, Brock Adams resigned to become the fifth Secretary of Transportation following his appointment by President Jimmy Carter and confirmation by the Senate.

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 Brock Adams, called him "absolutely one of the best transportation secretaries we've ever had".

Kari Tupper, the daughter of a longtime friend, accused Brock Adams of drugging and assaulting her in 1987.