Francine Irving Neff (December 6, 1925 – February 9, 2010) Retrieved July 15, 2023. was the 35th
Treasurer of the United States
The treasurer of the United States is an officer in the United States Department of the Treasury who serves as the custodian and trustee of the federal government's collateral assets and the supervisor of the department's currency and coinage pr ...
, serving from June 21, 1974, to January 19, 1977. She was appointed by
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...
but continued serving as Treasurer through
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
's term in office after Nixon resigned in August 1974.
Republican politics
Originally a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (Cyprus) (DCY)
**Democratic Part ...
who had become increasingly disenchanted with her party's politics, Neff switched her allegiance to the Republican Party and volunteered with Barry Goldwater's presidential campaign in 1964. She rose through the ranks of
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...
Republican politics, being named to its State Central Committee in 1967,
chairperson
The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...
of the New Mexico Women for Nixon in 1968 and member of the State Executive Committee in 1969. She was promoted to represent her state with the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...
in 1970 and served as a member on its executive committee from 1972 until she became Treasurer."New U.S. Treasurer Francine Irving Neff," ''The New York Times'', Thursday, June 27, 1974. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
Treasurer
Neff was nominated to become Treasurer of the United States by President Nixon on May 29, 1974. Retrieved July 12, 2023. She was officially sworn into office on June 21, succeeding
Romana Acosta Bañuelos
Romana Acosta Bañuelos (March 20, 1925 – January 15, 2018) was the 34th Treasurer of the United States. Appointed by President of the United States, President Richard Nixon on September 20, 1971, The first batch of dollar bills bearing her
signature
A signature (; from , "to sign") is a depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. Signatures are often, but not always, Handwriting, handwritt ...
came off the
printing press
A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in whi ...
es on July 3, 1974.
Neff took office at a time when the role of Treasurer was being reorganized. The Treasurer was named National Director of the Savings Bonds Division for the first time during her term. She was the first Treasurer to manage a bureau and the first to report to the Undersecretary for Monetary Affairs. She also oversaw the Treasury-wide bicentennial program. She was unsuccessful in her attempt to be a New Mexico delegate at the
1976 Republican National Convention
The 1976 Republican National Convention was a United States political convention of the Republican Party that met from August 16 to August 19, 1976, to select the party's nominees for president and vice president. Held in Kemper Arena in Kansa ...
.
In the transition from the
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was the 38th president of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Ford assumed the p ...
to the
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
Administration, Neff was succeeded as Treasurer by
Azie Taylor Morton
Azie Taylor Morton (February 1, 1936 – December 7, 2003) was the Treasurer of the United States during the Carter administration from September 12, 1977, to January 20, 1981. She remains the only African American to hold that office. Her signatu ...
who was sworn in on September 12, 1977.
Personal life
Despite her parents moving to
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
where her father worked the
oil field
A petroleum reservoir or oil and gas reservoir is a subsurface accumulation of hydrocarbons contained in porous or fractured rock formations. Such reservoirs form when kerogen (ancient plant matter) is created in surrounding rock by the prese ...
s, Neff was born in
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...
, because her mother made a special trip back to ensure her birth in the United States. She grew up on a small vegetable farm outside of
Mountainair, New Mexico
Mountainair is a town in Torrance County, New Mexico, United States. It was founded in 1902 by John Corbett, Colonel E. C. Manning, and Elias S. Stover. The population was 884 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Sta ...
.
She studied at
Cottey College
Cottey College is a Private college, private Women's colleges in the United States, women's college in Nevada, Missouri. It was founded by Virginia Alice (Cottey) Stockard in 1884. Since 1927, it has been owned and supported by the P.E.O. Siste ...
, in
Nevada, Missouri
Nevada ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Vernon County, Missouri, Vernon County, Missouri, United States. The population was 8,386 at the 2010 census, and 8,254 in the 2018 estimate. The local government has a council-manager model.
Histo ...
, where she was a member of
Alpha Delta Pi
Alpha Delta Pi (), commonly known as ADPi (pronounced "ay-dee-pye"), is an International Panhellenic sorority founded on May 15, 1851, at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. It is the oldest secret society for women.
Alpha Delta Pi is a member ...
and graduated in 1946. She then matriculated at the
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; ) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1889 by the New Mexico Territorial Legislature, it is the state's second oldest university, a flagship university in th ...
, double majoring in English and Music and earning her
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
in 1948. It was at the university where she met Edward J. Neff, with the two marrying each other on their graduation day. Her husband was a founding partner of Neff & Co., an Albuquerque-based
accounting
Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the process of recording and processing information about economic entity, economic entities, such as businesses and corporations. Accounting measures the results of an organization's economic activit ...
firm.
While Neff was Vice President of the Rio Grande Valley Bank in Albuquerque, she was named to the advisory board of Campaign America, a
political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...
(PAC) established by
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph Dole (July 22, 1923 – December 5, 2021) was an American politician and attorney who represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996. He was the Party leaders of the United States Senate, Republican Leader of th ...
on February 26, 1978, to assist the campaigns of Republican candidates for federal, state and local offices. She was featured in a 1978
American Express
American Express Company or Amex is an American bank holding company and multinational financial services corporation that specializes in payment card industry, payment cards. It is headquartered at 200 Vesey Street, also known as American Expr ...
television advertisement
A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to promote and ensure the American Dream for future generations, honor the achievements of outstanding Am ...
. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University (NMSU or NM State) is a public, land-grant, research university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States. Founded in 1888, it is the state's oldest public institution of higher education, and was the original land-g ...
in 2008.NMSU: Honorary Degree Recipients Attended Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri. Graduate of 1946.
Death
Neff died from
heart failure
Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome caused by an impairment in the heart's ability to Cardiac cycle, fill with and pump blood.
Although symptoms vary based on which side of the heart is affected, HF ...
on February 9, 2010, in
Pena Blanca, New Mexico Pena may refer to:
*Pena (footballer), Brazilian soccer player
*Pena (musical instrument), an Indian musical instrument
*Pena (surname)
*Pena National Palace, Sintra, Portugal
*"Pena", a song by Captain Beefheart on the album ''Trout Mask Replica'' ...