Stella Bloomberg Hackel Sims (born December 27, 1926) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 32nd director of the United States Mint from 1977 to 1981.

Early life and education

Sims was born Stella Bloomberg was born in 1926 in

Burlington, Vermont Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located south of the Canada–United States border and south of Montreal. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 44,743. It ...

. She was educated at the

University of Vermont The University of Vermont (UVM), officially the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Burlington, Vermont. It was founded in 1791 and is amon ...

, graduating in 1945, and at the

Boston University School of Law Boston University School of Law (Boston Law or BU Law) is the law school of Boston University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the United States and considered an eli ...

, receiving her

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

in 1948.

Career

In 1957, she was elected grand juror (city court prosecutor) of

Rutland, Vermont Rutland, Vermont may refer to: *Rutland (city), Vermont * Rutland (town), Vermont *Rutland County, Vermont *West Rutland, Vermont West Rutland is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,214 at the 2020 census. The t ...

, holding that office until 1963. From 1963 to 1973, she was Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Employment Security. In 1971 and 1972, she was also president of the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies. She was the successful

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

nominee for

Vermont state treasurer The State Treasurer's Office is responsible for several administrative and service duties, in accordance with Vermont Statutes. These include: investing state funds; issuing state bonds; serving as the central bank for state agencies; managing the ...

in 1974 and served one term, 1975 to 1977. She was the Democratic nominee in the

1976 Vermont gubernatorial election The 1976 Vermont gubernatorial election took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democrat Thomas P. Salmon did not seek another term as Governor of Vermont, instead running for United States Senate. Republican candidate Richard A. Snelling wo ...

, losing the general election to Richard A. Snelling. She was succeeded as treasurer by Emory A. Hebard and returned to Rutland as city attorney. In 1977, President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

nominated Sims as director of the United States Mint, and she held the office from November 1977 to April 1981. In that capacity, she oversaw the creation of the

Susan B. Anthony dollar The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States dollar coin minted from 1979 to 1981 when production was suspended due to poor public acceptance, and then again in 1999. Intended as a replacement for the larger Eisenhower dollar, the new smalle ...

in 1979. She attracted controversy from historians and numismatists alike when she ordered the destruction of Mint records in 1978.

Personal life

In 1949, she married Donald H. Hackel (1925–1985). After her first husband died she married Dr. Arthur I. Sims and became known as Stella Hackel Sims. Arthur Sims died in 2006. Sims retired in 1988, settling in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...

and

Naples, Florida Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the historical city (i.e. in the immediate vicinity of downtown Naples) was 19,115. Naples is a principal city of the Naples-Marco Island, Flori ...

.Resolution 11-12864
, Naples, Florida City Council, April 6, 2011

References

, - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Hackel Sims, Stella 1926 births American prosecutors Boston University School of Law alumni Directors of the United States Mint Living people State treasurers of Vermont University of Vermont alumni Vermont Democrats Vermont lawyers Carter administration personnel Reagan administration personnel