Mary Ellen (Winter) Atkins worked as a secretary for Representative Karl Le Compte of Iowa. As Atkins greeted constituents, answered the phones, and worked in Le Compte’s Iowa district office during her summers, she developed a deep understanding of the district’s interests and concerns. Born in 1923, Atkins grew up in Centerville, Iowa, with her two younger sisters. Her father, Abijah Winter, was an accountant, and her mother, Hazel (Kirkland), was his secretary. While attending Centerville High School, the local newspaper covered Atkins’ success in shorthand and typing competitions, in which teams won by making as few mistakes as possible in the allotted time. After graduating in 1941, she worked as a secretary at a local soybean mill and attended Centerville Junior College. The county’s Republican chairman read about her secretarial skills and recommended her to Congressman Le Compte. After a brief interview, Le Compte hired Atkins as a secretary in his Washington office. Atkins moved to the District of Columbia in September 1943 and resided at Scott’s Hotel, a local boardinghouse for young women. While she worked, she attended speech and writing classes at Georgetown University. Atkins met her husband, Don Atkins, Jr., at weekly dances and banquets for boarders and local military officers hosted by Scott’s Hotel. They were married on June 29, 1947, and later moved to California. Atkins continues to reside in California and enjoys living close to her two sons, Don III, and David.