The Brass Doors of the John Adams Building

There are three sets of brass doors on the east side of the John Adams Building. The sculpted figures by Lee Lawrie depict the history of the written word.

• Thoth, an Egyptian god
• BRAHMA, the Indian god
• TS'ANG CHIEH, the Chinese patron of writing
• CADMUS, the Greek sower of dragon's teeth
• NABU, an Akkadian god
• ITZAMA, god of the Mayans
  

Also pictured on east side doors are:

• HERMES, the messenger of the gods
• ODIN, the Viking-Germanic god of war and creator of the runic alphabet
• OGMA, the Irish god who invented the Gaelic alphabet
• QUETZALCOATL, the god of the Aztecs
• SEQUOYAH, an American Indian