Brock Adams

Brockman "Brock" Adams (January 13, 1927 – September 10, 2004) was an American politician and member of Congress. Adams was a Democrat from Washington and served as a U.S. Representative, Senator, and United States Secretary of Transportation before retiring in January 1993.

Early life and education

Adams was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and attended the public schools in Portland, Oregon. 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. He graduated in 1949 and was admitted to Harvard Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1952.

Naval and legal career

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. Adams was also 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.