Adams, Brock, 1927-2004

Brockman "Brock" Adams (January 13, 1927 – September 10, 2004) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from the University of Washington at Seattle, in 1949, and received a law degree from Harvard Law School, in 1952.

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, Washington. He 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. He was elected as a Democrat to the House and served six terms beginning January 3, 1965. He was chairman for the newly created Budget Committee during the 94th Congress.

On January 22, 1977, Adams resigned to become the fifth Secretary of Transportation, serving from January 23, 1977 to July 20, 1979. While Secretary, Adams challenged the automobile industry to make dramatic changes in design, including increased fuel efficiency and mandatory air bags. During his tenure, the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 became law. After resigning his Cabinet post, he resumed law practice, this time in Washington, D.C., where he was a lobbyist for CSX Corporation and other railroad carriers.

On November 4, 1986, Adams was elected as a U.S. Senator from Washington, defeating incumbent Slade Gorton. He served one term from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 1993, he chose not to be a candidate for reelection in 1992 after eight women made statements to The Seattle Times alleging that Adams had sexually harassed them. Following a ten-year battle with Parkinson's disease, he died at his home in Stevensville, Maryland in 2004.