Biography

Stella Hackel Sims was born in 1926 in Burlington, Vermont

Burlington, Vermont

Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....

. She was educated at the University of Vermont

University of Vermont

The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...

, graduating in 1945, and at the Boston University School of Law

Boston University School of Law

Boston University School of Law is the law school affiliated with Boston University, and is ranked #22 among American law schools by US News and World Report magazine. It is the second-oldest law school in Massachusetts and one of the first law schools in the country to admit students regardless...

, receiving her J.D.

Juris Doctor

Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...

 in 1948.

In 1956, Hackel Sims was elected prosecutor of Rutland, Vermont, holding that office until 1963. From 1963 to 1973, she was Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Employment Security. In 1971-72, she was also President of the Interstate Conference of Employment Security Agencies. She was elected Vermont State Treasurer

State Treasurer

In the state governments of the United States, 49 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. Texas abolished the position of Texas State Treasurer in 1996....

 in 1975. She ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Vermont

Governor of Vermont

The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...

 in 1976. She then returned to Rutland as city attorney

City attorney

A city attorney can be an elected or appointed position in city and municipal government in the United States. The city attorney is the attorney representing the city or municipality....

.

In 1977, President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...

 named Hackel Sims Director of the United States Mint

Director of the United States Mint

The Director of the United States Mint is the head of the United States Mint. The position is currently vacant following the resignation of Edmund C. Moy in January 2011....

, and she subsequently held this office from November 1977 to April 1981. In that capacity, she oversaw the creation of the Susan B. Anthony dollar

Susan B. Anthony dollar

The Susan B. Anthony dollar is a United States coin minted from 1979 to 1981, and again in 1999. It depicts women's suffrage campaigner Susan B. Anthony on a dollar coin. It was the first circulating U.S. coin with the portrait of an actual woman rather than an allegorical female figure such as...

 in 1979.

Hackel Sims retired in 1988, settling in Arlington, Virginia.