Vada Webb Sheid was a pioneering Arkansas legislator and the first woman to serve in both the state House and Senate, with a public career spanning five decades.
Born August 19, 1916, in Izard County, she grew up in Calico Rock and later attended Draughon School of Business in Little Rock. She began her career in public service as Izard County welfare director and later worked for the state. After marrying Carl Sheid in 1940, the couple settled in Mountain Home, where they owned and operated local businesses.
Encouraged by her father, Sheid entered politics, winning election as Baxter County treasurer in 1960. She was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 1966 and later to the Arkansas Senate in 1976, becoming the first woman in Arkansas to serve in both chambers.
Known as “Miss Vada,” she built a reputation for her personal approach to constituent service and her focus on education and infrastructure. She played a key role in establishing Arkansas State University–Mountain Home and North Arkansas College and was instrumental in advancing highway improvements and the construction of bridges over Norfork Lake—her signature achievement.
After losing reelection in 1984, she was appointed to the Arkansas State Police Commission and later returned briefly to the House from 1993 to 1994. Sheid spent her later years in community service before retiring. She died on February 11, 2008, in Mountain Home.