University of Georgia President Emeritus Michael F. Adams, 77, died Jan. 25, following a brief illness.
Adams is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn Ethridge Adams, and their sons, David Adams and Taylor Adams (Carrie), as well as three granddaughters, Campbell, Tucker, and Lawson Adams.
Adams served as the university’s 21st president from 1997 to 2013 and led UGA to national prominence as one of the country’s top 20 public research universities. During his tenure, the university increased enrollment, expanded its faculty, expanded fundraising, and expanded its footprint—all while improving academic quality across the board.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of President Adams’ passing, and on behalf of the University of Georgia community, I want to express my sincere condolences to Mary, David, and Taylor, and their entire family,” present UGA President Jere W. Morehead said.
“When Dr. Adams became president, he outlined an ambitious vision for the future of our great institution, and during his 16-year tenure, he implemented that vision and elevated the national reputation of UGA in so many positive ways,” Morehead added. “I will always be grateful for his service to the University of Georgia and his unwavering commitment to advancing our mission.”
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a UGA alumnus, also issued a statement offering condolences to Adams’ family, friends, and colleagues.
“Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the loss of UGA President Michael Adams,” Kemp said in an officially released statement. “President Adams leadership helped usher in a new era for our State’s flagship university, cementing its place as one of the top public universities in the nation. We send our deepest condolences to the Adams family during this time.”
While enrollment grew from 29,673 in 1997 to 35,000 in 2012, Adams’ leadership helped UGA become a more selective academic institution.
Federal research expenditures nearly tripled under Adams, and UGA added 127 endowed professorships and 14 Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholars under his leadership, too. Adams’ stewardship helped UGA create the School of Public and International Affairs (2001), the College of Environment and Design (2001), the College of Public Health (2005), the Odum School of Ecology (2007), and the College of Engineering (2012). The Medical Partnership with Augusta University (2010) established the foundation for UGA’s new School of Medicine.
“This is about more than numbers. It is about people, about opportunity, about the power of education to improve both an individual’s life and the community in which he or she lives. It’s about transformation,” Adams said in 2013, reflecting on his presidency in his final State of the University address.
“I believe in this place; I believe in higher education; I believe in the power of education to change lives,” he continued. “I’m Exhibit A of that, and it has given me an opportunity to represent the institution and move it forward.”
During Adams’ presidency, the University of Georgia transformed its campus, spending more than $1 billion on construction and renovation.
New facilities provided space for teaching, research, the arts, and housing — ranging from the East Campus Village, the Zell B. Miller Learning Center, the Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries, to the expanded Georgia Museum of Art.
UGA also enhanced its international presence under Adams, emphasizing study abroad programs and adding year-round residential sites in Oxford, England; Cortona, Italy; and San Luis, Costa Rica.
The university doubled private giving during Adams’ tenure, while UGA’s endowment grew from $249.4 million in 1997 to $745.8 million in 2011. At the conclusion of his presidency, Adams’ signature appeared on some 110,000 degrees earned by almost half of UGA’s living alumni.
“President Adams truly believed in the transformational power of higher education, and he envisioned and launched bold new programs and initiatives to help students achieve their dreams,” said Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College and former chief of staff to President Adams. “He clearly understood that the future health of the state was tied to the strength of its flagship university, and he worked tirelessly to strengthen academic offerings for students so that they might then become proud alumni and leaders in their communities.”
Adams’ success as a university administrator was recognized by more than 50 higher education awards, including the Knight Foundation Award for Presidential Leadership, the Pioneer Award for Leadership in Civil Rights, and the James T. Rogers Award, among others. He served in leadership positions with the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, the American Council on Education, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Executive Committee.
Before assuming his role as UGA president, Adams served as president of Centre College from 1989 to 1997, vice president of University Affairs for Pepperdine College, and as an Ohio State University faculty member.
He was chief of staff to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker and an aide to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander.
Adams returned to Pepperdine after his tenure at UGA, serving as the institution’s chancellor. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from David Lipscomb College and his Master of Arts and Ph.D. from Ohio State University.