Mary Ellen Withrow

Role and responsibilities

The Treasurer of the United States is a senior official in the Department of the Treasury whose responsibilities have historically included oversight and liaison duties for the nation's coin and currency production and certain fiscal operations. While the office does not set monetary policy, it carries important administrative and symbolic functions, including:

• Advising on matters related to the U.S. Mint and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
• Serving as a public representative for Treasury programs and financial education initiatives.
• Having the Treasurer's signature appear on Federal Reserve notes and certain Treasury instruments.

Currency redesigns in the 1990s

During Withrow's term the United States introduced a series of redesigned banknotes intended to improve security and deter counterfeiting. Bills updated in that period included the $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 denominations. The redesigns added features such as enhanced portrait rendering, watermarks, security threads, microprinting, and other anti-counterfeiting elements. As Treasurer, Withrow's signature was one of the two signatory names printed on many of these notes produced while she held office.

Career background and public service

Before her appointment as U.S. Treasurer, Withrow had a long career in public finance and local government. Over several decades she served in elected and appointed treasurer roles at local and state levels, and she was active in community and governmental financial affairs. Her progression from local fiscal posts to the national office reflects a professional emphasis on public stewardship of funds and citizen outreach about fiscal matters.

Legacy and notable facts

Withrow is part of the group of women who have held the office of Treasurer of the United States and played a visible role in an institution closely tied to the nation’s currency. Collectors and historians often note the signatures on Federal Reserve notes as one way to date and identify issues; notes bearing Withrow's signature correspond to the period of the 1990s redesigns. As a public figure she also represented Treasury in educational and civic settings, helping communicate government financial practices to a broader audience.

For further official information about the office she held, see the listing for the Treasurer of the United States. Her tenure remains a clear example of how administrative offices intersect with practical matters—like the look and security of everyday money—and with the public perception of federal finance.