The service that Greenup Countians rendered during World War II encouraged several young women from the next generation to pursue a career in government service. For Leona Sparks, Mildred Veach, Jerry Potter, and Mattie Lois Ferguson, the adventure began in March of 1951 when Willard “Easy” Eaves, an FBI agent from Ashland, visited Greenup County High School and interviewed the four girls and later returned to test them. They passed with flying colors and were hired to go to Washington, D.C., to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 25, 1951, the four girls said goodbye to a large contingent of family and friends who had gathered to see them off. They boarded a C&O passenger train and early the next morning they arrived in D.C. with an armada of trunks and suitcases. The cab driver dropped the four off at Laura Sparks’s (Leona’s sister) apartment building, where they quickly found a room. Later, they found an apartment suitable for four young women.
On Monday, they took the trolley to the Justice Department on Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, attended an FBI orientation meeting, and received their assignments. Three of the girls, who were already 18 years of age, were assigned to Index Filing on the fourth floor of the FBI office in the Justice Department. Because Mildred was only 17, she traveled across town by trolley to acquire a work permit.
Mildred was assigned to work at the Identification Building, which also housed the FBI office on Pennsylvania Avenue. After Mildred’s 18th birthday, she was assigned to the FBI Building in the Justice Department and was promoted to senior locator clerk visiting all the FBI agent’s offices looking for classified mail on current cases. That mail went to J. Edgar Hoover’s office.
In the fall of 1951, these young Greenup Countians were alone in Washington, D.C., but they were not lonely. Several young men from their county were stationed at Camp Lejeune. They visited D.C. and the four young women took them on tours, sometimes going to Soho Park in Bethesda, Maryland, for a day’s outing.
Throughout the fall of 1951 and for six months in 1952, the young women also enjoyed a series of parades for visiting dignitaries. Government employees were given time off to watch parades and see President Truman, military bands, important visitors, and servicemen marching in formation. Life in Washington, D.C., was helping these young women develop social skills that served them for a lifetime. For example, they visited U.S. Representative Joe Bates and his wife at their residence in Longfellow House. Joe and his wife, who were prominent Greenup Countians, were proud of their young visitors and Mrs. Bates served them ice cream sundaes.
At Christmas, the four friends rode the George Washington passenger train home for the holidays. The train had a long string of coaches to accommodate servicemen and women who were travelling home. The young women were quite an attraction, and the conductor moved his workstation across from them to shield them from enthusiastic attention from men they did not know. When they returned to D.C. after Christmas, they enjoyed visits from their families.
Circumstances beyond their control soon brought an end to their Washington adventure. Mattie returned home in February to care for her father who was gravely ill. Then, Leona Sparks suffered appendicitis. After her recovery, Leona left D.C. in early April 1952 to return home and marry Erwin Herald.
Throughout the spring and early summer, Mildred and Jerry continued their work for the FBI and enjoyed big city social activities. They remembered “riding the trolly to downtown D.C. on Saturday evenings for a good meal and great movies starring the leading actresses and actors of the 1950s.” On other occasions, they visited the NCO club on Pennsylvania Avenue and enjoyed the company of young servicemen and women.
Mildred and Jerry witnessed interesting changes in the nation’s capital. President Truman was living in Blair House, the president’s guest house, while the White House was being remodeled. He walked from Blair House to the White House. It was also reported that UFOs buzzed D.C. and the White House in 1952.
But all good things must end. In June, Jerry Potter returned to Greenup County to accept a good job. Mildred was left alone and could not afford to pay rent by herself, so she reluctantly resigned her FBI position also. “I was always sorry I made that decision,” she later reflected.
For these four young women, their 1950s adventure in Washington, D.C., became the springboard for long, happy, successful lives that made important contributions to Greenup County.
An expanded version of this story is one of 30 in the recently published “Hidden Heroes of Greenup County” available on this website, in the JSF Bookstore, 4440 13th Street in Ashland, or by calling 606-326-1667.
By James M. Gifford
JSF CEO & Senior Editor
The service that Greenup Countians rendered during World War II encouraged several young women from the next generation to pursue a career in government service. For Leona Sparks, Mildred Veach, Jerry Potter, and Mattie Lois Ferguson, the adventure began in March of 1951 when Willard “Easy” Eaves, an FBI agent from Ashland, visited Greenup County High School and interviewed the four girls and later returned to test them. They passed with flying colors and were hired to go to Washington, D.C., to work for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On May 25, 1951, the four girls said goodbye to a large contingent of family and friends who had gathered to see them off. They boarded a C&O passenger train and early the next morning they arrived in D.C. with an armada of trunks and suitcases. The cab driver dropped the four off at Laura Sparks’s (Leona’s sister) apartment building, where they quickly found a room. Later, they found an apartment suitable for four young women.
On Monday, they took the trolley to the Justice Department on Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, attended an FBI orientation meeting, and received their assignments. Three of the girls, who were already 18 years of age, were assigned to Index Filing on the fourth floor of the FBI office in the Justice Department. Because Mildred was only 17, she traveled across town by trolley to acquire a work permit.
Mildred was assigned to work at the Identification Building, which also housed the FBI office on Pennsylvania Avenue. After Mildred’s 18th birthday, she was assigned to the FBI Building in the Justice Department and was promoted to senior locator clerk visiting all the FBI agent’s offices looking for classified mail on current cases. That mail went to J. Edgar Hoover’s office.
In the fall of 1951, these young Greenup Countians were alone in Washington, D.C., but they were not lonely. Several young men from their county were stationed at Camp Lejeune. They visited D.C. and the four young women took them on tours, sometimes going to Soho Park in Bethesda, Maryland, for a day’s outing.
Throughout the fall of 1951 and for six months in 1952, the young women also enjoyed a series of parades for visiting dignitaries. Government employees were given time off to watch parades and see President Truman, military bands, important visitors, and servicemen marching in formation. Life in Washington, D.C., was helping these young women develop social skills that served them for a lifetime. For example, they visited U.S. Representative Joe Bates and his wife at their residence in Longfellow House. Joe and his wife, who were prominent Greenup Countians, were proud of their young visitors and Mrs. Bates served them ice cream sundaes.
At Christmas, the four friends rode the George Washington passenger train home for the holidays. The train had a long string of coaches to accommodate servicemen and women who were travelling home. The young women were quite an attraction, and the conductor moved his workstation across from them to shield them from enthusiastic attention from men they did not know. When they returned to D.C. after Christmas, they enjoyed visits from their families.
Circumstances beyond their control soon brought an end to their Washington adventure. Mattie returned home in February to care for her father who was gravely ill. Then, Leona Sparks suffered appendicitis. After her recovery, Leona left D.C. in early April 1952 to return home and marry Erwin Herald.
Throughout the spring and early summer, Mildred and Jerry continued their work for the FBI and enjoyed big city social activities. They remembered “riding the trolly to downtown D.C. on Saturday evenings for a good meal and great movies starring the leading actresses and actors of the 1950s.” On other occasions, they visited the NCO club on Pennsylvania Avenue and enjoyed the company of young servicemen and women.
Mildred and Jerry witnessed interesting changes in the nation’s capital. President Truman was living in Blair House, the president’s guest house, while the White House was being remodeled. He walked from Blair House to the White House. It was also reported that UFOs buzzed D.C. and the White House in 1952.
But all good things must end. In June, Jerry Potter returned to Greenup County to accept a good job. Mildred was left alone and could not afford to pay rent by herself, so she reluctantly resigned her FBI position also. “I was always sorry I made that decision,” she later reflected.
For these four young women, their 1950s adventure in Washington, D.C., became the springboard for long, happy, successful lives that made important contributions to Greenup County.
An expanded version of this story is one of 30 in the recently published “Hidden Heroes of Greenup County” available on this website, in the JSF Bookstore, 4440 13th Street in Ashland, or by calling 606-326-1667.
By James M. Gifford
JSF CEO & Senior Editor
