Beatrice Adams Papers

The papers of Beatrice Adams (1902-1997) span the years 1913-1997, with the bulk of the material dated between 1940s1970s. The collection consists of personal and professional biographical materials, correspondence, published articles, speeches & writings, clippings, photographs and awards.  

Beatrice ‘Bea’ Adams, 1902-1997, was born in Belleville, Illinois, and studied advertising while attending night school at Washington University, St. Louis. Adams was the first woman executive vice president of Gardner Advertising Company, creative director and member of its Board of Directors. As an innovator in her profession, she was selected as National Advertising Woman of the Year by the Advertising Federation of America and one of 36 outstanding American women by Fortune magazine. The Women’s Advertising Club of Chicago awarded Adams with the Josephine Snapp award for Most Outstanding Advertising Achievement by a Woman in 1940. She also was a writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and St. Louis Commerce; founding member of the Women’s Advertising Club of St. Louis and originator of the Women’s Advertising Club’s annual Gridiron event. Her other honors included honorary member of Theta Sigma Phi; Globe-Democrat Woman of Achievement; recipient of the Missouri Press Women’s Quest award; and a recipient of a Founder’s Day citation from Washington University. Adams wrote Let’s Not Mince any Bones (1972), a history of the Gardner Advertising Company.

Pamphlets, speeches [reprints]

   -The Big Promise…the Common Touch
   -Light A Fire
   -The Magic Ingredient
   -Surprise Me