Sherman Adams
Encyclopedia
Llewelyn Sherman Adams was an American politician, best known as White House Chief of Staff
for President Dwight D. Eisenhower
, the culmination of a relatively short (18-year) political career that also included a stint as Governor of New Hampshire
. He lost his White House position in a scandal over a vicuña
fur coat.
, Vermont, Adams was educated in Providence, Rhode Island
public schools, graduating from Hope High School. He received an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College
(1920), having taken time off briefly for a six-month World War I stint in the United States Marine Corps
. He then went into the lumber business, first in Headville, Vermont (1921), then to a combined lumber and paper business in Lincoln
, New Hampshire. He also was involved in banking.
(1945–47), making a failed effort to capture the 1946 Republican gubernatorial nomination in New Hampshire. He lost to incumbent Charles M. Dale
; he later won this office in 1948.
s to qualify for Federal Old Age & Survivors Insurance. In 1950 he formed a Reorganization Committee to recommend changes in state operations, and he called for the legislature to act on the recommendations.
Adams's clipped New Hampshire twang and calls for frugality made him a virtual poster boy for Republican balanced budget
values of the time. He served as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Governors (1951–52), and was then asked to be White House Chief of Staff for the new Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
and anti-Communist crusader Whittaker Chambers
. Adams was a frequent broker of such controversies. When Adams resigned in 1958, and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
departed the next year, the administration went into a two year period that lacked direction. Author and movie critic Michael Medved wrote a book on Presidential aides called The Shadow Presidents. He mentioned Adams was probably the most powerful Presidential Chief of Staff in history. He told of a joke that circulated around Washington in the 1950s. Two Democrats were talking and one said "Wouldn't it be terrible if Eisenhower died and Nixon
became President?". The other replied "Wouldn't it be terrible if Sherman Adams died and Eisenhower became President!".
overcoat and oriental rug
from Bernard Goldfine, a Boston textile manufacturer who was being investigated for Federal Trade Commission
violations. Goldfine, who had business with the federal government, was cited for contempt of Congress when he refused to answer questions regarding his relationship with Adams. The story was first reported to the public by muckraking journalist Jack Anderson.
Then Vice-President Richard Nixon stated that he was assigned the onerous responsibility of telling Adams that he had to resign. He regretted the necessity, as Adams' career in politics ended and he went "off... to operate a ski lodge" without any judicial findings. In the The Nixon Interviews, Nixon argued that he was unable to fire the White House staffers involved in the Watergate scandal, much as President Eisenhower was unable to directly fire Adams. However, according to Time Magazine's September 29, 1958 article on Adams, the job of firing Adams actually fell to Meade Alcorn, not Nixon.
where he started Loon Mountain
Corporation, today a major ski
resort. He died in 1986. His remains are buried at Riverside Cemetery, also in Lincoln.
White House Chief of Staff
The White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
for President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, the culmination of a relatively short (18-year) political career that also included a stint as Governor of New Hampshire
Governor of New Hampshire
The Governor of the State of New Hampshire is the supreme executive magistrate of the U.S. state of New Hampshire.The governor is elected at the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along with bordering Vermont, to hold...
. He lost his White House position in a scandal over a vicuña
Vicuña
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...
fur coat.
Early life
Born in East DoverDover, Vermont
Dover is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,410 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.3 square miles , all land...
, Vermont, Adams was educated in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
public schools, graduating from Hope High School. He received an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
(1920), having taken time off briefly for a six-month World War I stint in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. He then went into the lumber business, first in Headville, Vermont (1921), then to a combined lumber and paper business in Lincoln
Lincoln, New Hampshire
Lincoln is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the second-largest town by area in New Hampshire. The population was 1,662 at the 2010 census. The town is home to the New Hampshire Highland Games and to a portion of Franconia Notch State Park. Set in the White Mountains,...
, New Hampshire. He also was involved in banking.
Political beginnings
Adams entered state politics as a Republican legislator (1941–44; Speaker of the House, 1944). He served a term in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(1945–47), making a failed effort to capture the 1946 Republican gubernatorial nomination in New Hampshire. He lost to incumbent Charles M. Dale
Charles M. Dale
Charles Milby Dale was an American lawyer and Republican politician from Portsmouth, New Hampshire; he was the seventy-sixth Governor of New Hampshire, serving from 1945 to 1949.-Early career:...
; he later won this office in 1948.
New Hampshire governorship
When Adams took office as governor, New Hampshire was suffering post-war recession. He called for frugality and thrift in both personal and state expenditures. Retirees were (and are) a significant part of New Hampshire's population; Adams called for increased state aid for the aged, and for legislation which would enable the state's seniorSenior citizen
Senior citizen is a common polite designation for an elderly person in both UK and US English, and it implies or means that the person is retired. This in turn implies or in fact means that the person is over the retirement age, which varies according to country. Synonyms include pensioner in UK...
s to qualify for Federal Old Age & Survivors Insurance. In 1950 he formed a Reorganization Committee to recommend changes in state operations, and he called for the legislature to act on the recommendations.
Adams's clipped New Hampshire twang and calls for frugality made him a virtual poster boy for Republican balanced budget
Balanced budget
A balanced budget is when there is neither a budget deficit or a budget surplus – when revenues equal expenditure – particularly by a government. More generally, it refers to when there is no deficit, but possibly a surplus...
values of the time. He served as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Governors (1951–52), and was then asked to be White House Chief of Staff for the new Republican president, Dwight D. Eisenhower.
White House Chief of Staff
Adams took his role as Chief of Staff very seriously; with the exception of Cabinet members and certain NSC advisors, all requests for access to Eisenhower had to go through his office. This alienated traditional Republican Party loyalists. Adams was one of the most powerful men in Washington D.C. during the six years he served as Chief of Staff to President Eisenhower. Because of Eisenhower's highly formalized staff structure, it appeared to many that he had virtual control over White House staff operations and domestic policy (a 1956 article in Time entitled "OK, S.A." advanced this perception). The extent of internal strife between strong willed personalities was chronicled in his 1961 memoir "First Hand Report". Among the heated conflicts within the Eisenhower administration were the best method to handle flamboyant personalities such as U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthyJoseph McCarthy
Joseph Raymond "Joe" McCarthy was an American politician who served as a Republican U.S. Senator from the state of Wisconsin from 1947 until his death in 1957...
and anti-Communist crusader Whittaker Chambers
Whittaker Chambers
Whittaker Chambers was born Jay Vivian Chambers and also known as David Whittaker Chambers , was an American writer and editor. After being a Communist Party USA member and Soviet spy, he later renounced communism and became an outspoken opponent later testifying in the perjury and espionage trial...
. Adams was a frequent broker of such controversies. When Adams resigned in 1958, and Secretary of State John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles
John Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world...
departed the next year, the administration went into a two year period that lacked direction. Author and movie critic Michael Medved wrote a book on Presidential aides called The Shadow Presidents. He mentioned Adams was probably the most powerful Presidential Chief of Staff in history. He told of a joke that circulated around Washington in the 1950s. Two Democrats were talking and one said "Wouldn't it be terrible if Eisenhower died and Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
became President?". The other replied "Wouldn't it be terrible if Sherman Adams died and Eisenhower became President!".
Overcoat scandal
Adams was pressured to resign in 1958, when a House subcommittee revealed Adams had accepted an expensive vicuñaVicuña
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...
overcoat and oriental rug
Oriental rug
An authentic oriental rug is a handmade carpet that is either knotted with pile or woven without pile.By definition - Oriental rugs are rugs that come from the orient...
from Bernard Goldfine, a Boston textile manufacturer who was being investigated for Federal Trade Commission
Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, established in 1914 by the Federal Trade Commission Act...
violations. Goldfine, who had business with the federal government, was cited for contempt of Congress when he refused to answer questions regarding his relationship with Adams. The story was first reported to the public by muckraking journalist Jack Anderson.
Then Vice-President Richard Nixon stated that he was assigned the onerous responsibility of telling Adams that he had to resign. He regretted the necessity, as Adams' career in politics ended and he went "off... to operate a ski lodge" without any judicial findings. In the The Nixon Interviews, Nixon argued that he was unable to fire the White House staffers involved in the Watergate scandal, much as President Eisenhower was unable to directly fire Adams. However, according to Time Magazine's September 29, 1958 article on Adams, the job of firing Adams actually fell to Meade Alcorn, not Nixon.
Post-political life
Adams returned to Lincoln, New HampshireLincoln, New Hampshire
Lincoln is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. It is the second-largest town by area in New Hampshire. The population was 1,662 at the 2010 census. The town is home to the New Hampshire Highland Games and to a portion of Franconia Notch State Park. Set in the White Mountains,...
where he started Loon Mountain
Loon Mountain
Loon Mountain is a mountain in Lincoln, New Hampshire, in Grafton County. It is in the White Mountain National Forest.The mountain is known for Loon Mountain Ski Resort, which, like most New England mountain resorts, has expanded into an all-season recreation area.-External links:* - Official site*...
Corporation, today a major ski
Ski
A ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
resort. He died in 1986. His remains are buried at Riverside Cemetery, also in Lincoln.
Family
Adams was married to Rachel White in 1923. They had one son, Samuel, and three daughters, Jean, Sarah, and Marion.External links
- The Papers of Sherman Adams in the Dartmouth College Library
- Records of Sherman Adams, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library
- Publications – A Guide to Likenesses of New Hampshire Officials and Governors on Public Display at the Legislative Office Building and the State House Concord, New Hampshire, to 1998 New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources Retrieved on 2008-04-02