First female deputy sheriff in the United States. Served the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) from 1912-1947.Margaret Queen Phillips Adams was born in Kentucky and moved to California from Indiana with her family at age 9. The Phillips family settled in downtown Los Angeles at Second and San Pedro Streets. Her father was a prominent attorney named Oliver Barr Phillips, Esq. Margaret was the second of five children and her older sister Lillian would go on to marry William A. Hammel who was sheriff of Los Angeles County twice (1899-1902, 1907-14) and chief of the Los Angeles Police Department once (1904-05). Margaret Q. Adams married husband Elmer on January 1, 1899 in Santa Ana, California. They had two children, Wilbur Vernon Adams and Anna Margretta Adams Bowdish. In 1912, Margaret Adams and her husband Elmer separated. Needing to support her two children, she took a position offered by her brother-in-law Sheriff William A. Hammel. She accepted the offer, but only on the condition that she would be deputized. Accordingly, she became the first female deputy sheriff in the United States and was sworn in on February 16, 1912. She often said that she could "enforce the law before she could vote on the law." Not surprisingly, Adams was a supporter of female suffrage in the United States.She served the LASD for 35 years until her retirement in 1947. By that time, she coordinated all of the evidence being processed through the Los Angeles County Courthouse. Because of the importance of her work, she became close to several of the sheriffs succeding Bill Hammel. She was even godmother to Superior Court Judge Warren Biscailuz, son of Sheriff Eugene W. Biscailuz. Adams often began work before sunrise and did not leave until after sunset. She was known to run an extremely tight ship and when she retired the LASD hired three deputies to replace her.She was buried next to her daughter at Inglewood Park Cemetery wearing her Los Angeles County Sheriff's badge. She was fond of saying that the Sheriffs Dept gave her "everything in life."She was a direct descendant of Rev. George Phillips, who came to America in 1630 aboard the Arbella with Gov. John Winthrop.
First female deputy sheriff in the United States. Served the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) from 1912-1947.Margaret Queen Phillips Adams was born in Kentucky and moved to California from Indiana with her family at age 9. The Phillips family settled in downtown Los Angeles at Second and San Pedro Streets. Her father was a prominent attorney named Oliver Barr Phillips, Esq. Margaret was the second of five children and her older sister Lillian would go on to marry William A. Hammel who was sheriff of Los Angeles County twice (1899-1902, 1907-14) and chief of the Los Angeles Police Department once (1904-05). Margaret Q. Adams married husband Elmer on January 1, 1899 in Santa Ana, California. They had two children, Wilbur Vernon Adams and Anna Margretta Adams Bowdish. In 1912, Margaret Adams and her husband Elmer separated. Needing to support her two children, she took a position offered by her brother-in-law Sheriff William A. Hammel. She accepted the offer, but only on the condition that she would be deputized. Accordingly, she became the first female deputy sheriff in the United States and was sworn in on February 16, 1912. She often said that she could "enforce the law before she could vote on the law." Not surprisingly, Adams was a supporter of female suffrage in the United States.She served the LASD for 35 years until her retirement in 1947. By that time, she coordinated all of the evidence being processed through the Los Angeles County Courthouse. Because of the importance of her work, she became close to several of the sheriffs succeding Bill Hammel. She was even godmother to Superior Court Judge Warren Biscailuz, son of Sheriff Eugene W. Biscailuz. Adams often began work before sunrise and did not leave until after sunset. She was known to run an extremely tight ship and when she retired the LASD hired three deputies to replace her.She was buried next to her daughter at Inglewood Park Cemetery wearing her Los Angeles County Sheriff's badge. She was fond of saying that the Sheriffs Dept gave her "everything in life."She was a direct descendant of Rev. George Phillips, who came to America in 1630 aboard the Arbella with Gov. John Winthrop.
