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Walter Adams (economist)
Encyclopedia
Walter Adams was an American
economist
and college professor. He served as the 13th President of Michigan State University
and served as an expert witness before 36 congressional committees.
. He earned a BA
in economics from Brooklyn College
in 1942, graduating magna cum laude, before joining the U.S. Army in April 1943.
Adams served with distinction in the 83rd Infantry
and 11th Armored
Divisions, landing at Normandy
in the days following D-Day
, "participating in the Battle of the Bulge
, and helping to liberate three concentration camps." He earned a battlefield commission as second lieutenant
(later attaining the rank of first lieutenant
), and in 1945 was awarded the Bronze Star
for heroic conduct.
After World War II
ended, Adams returned to his wife, Pauline Gordon (they had wed on August 23, 1943), and his studies and completed his MA
and Ph.D
degrees at Yale University
in 1946 and 1947. The couple's only child, William James Adams, was born in 1947.
) in 1947. He became a professor in 1956, and was honored with the title Distinguished Professor just four years later.
Throughout his career, Adams wrote many books and papers, including The Bigness Complex: Industry, Labor, and Government in the American Economy; The Tobacco Wars; and Adam Smith Goes to Moscow. He frequently traveled to Washington, D.C., where he served as an expert witness at Congressional budget hearings.
For many years at Michigan State, Adams taught a senior-level class (known in the course catalog as Economics 444) on American enterprise and public policy. It was widely reputed to be one of the most difficult yet rewarding courses available at MSU. One veteran of the class wrote, "Students who signed up for Econ 444 knew that they were going for the educational adventure of their lives."
in 1969, Adams was asked by the Board of Trustees to serve as interim president while a selection process could be undertaken. Adams accepted, and was sworn in as Michigan State's 13th President on April 1, 1969.
His brief, nine-month term was marked by the same campus unrest and student protests that were occurring across the United States in 1969. Adams was, however, frequently able to defuse tense situations using a combination of self-effacing humor and a willingness to engage the students personally in open dialogue.
In spite of his limited administrative experience, Walter Adams carried Michigan State University through a very difficult period in student/establishment relations. The students' positive impression of him may be seen in the numerous pro-Adams editorials that were published in the student paper, The State News. His success can be measured by the fact that toward the end of his term, petitions requesting that he remain as president had collected the signatures of some 950 faculty and 20,000 students—approximately half of the entire student body. However, he stuck to his original promise, and on January 1, 1970, Walter Adams returned to what he considered his true calling, economics.
In 1971, Adams published a memoir of his experiences as president, titled The Test.
that same year, a position he held until his death. Trinity's Department of Economics established the Walter Adams Prize for Excellence in Economics in his honor, "to recognize a graduating economics major at Trinity who has achieved great distinction in scholarship and involvement in the life of the University community."
Beyond his scholarly prowess, Walter Adams is remembered at Michigan State as being the "ultimate Spartan fan." He held season tickets to seats directly behind the visiting team's bench in Jenison Fieldhouse
, where basketball games were played through the 1988–89 season. (Today, an NCAA rule prohibits this.) "Ears were assailed by his piercing voice as he stridently ragged the opposing coach and offered advice to our own coaches on how to defeat the enemy." Coach Bobby Knight
, then of Indiana
, who often received the brunt of Adams's vitriol, began a pre-game gift exchange with Adams as an attempt at appeasement (to little avail).
Walter Adams donated instruments to the Spartan Marching Band
and was made an "honorary band member," a rare honor. Each fall he would put on his band jacket and a green Tyrolean hat
with green-and-white plume, place one of his trademark cigars between his teeth, and lead the band in its march to the stadium. He was known as the "Number One Band Fan." Today a scholarship for a marching band member demonstrating academic excellence is endowed in Adams' name.
Walter Adams died at home of pancreatic cancer
on September 8, 1998. Soon after his death, the former army cadet drill field west of the Music Building, from which the Spartan Marching Band steps off to march to the stadium on football Saturdays, was renamed from Landon Field (after the nearby residence hall) to Walter Adams Field. A commemorative garden, plaque and park bench, nestled at the edge of the field midway between Cowles House
and the Music Building, were later added.
In 2002 a former student and protégé of Adams, MSU Trustee Randall L. Pittman, along with his wife Mary, donated USD $6 million to restore and update Marshall Hall, a former bacteriology laboratory which has long held offices of the Department of Economics. For their generosity the Pittmans were allowed to append a name to the building, and they chose to honor Walter Adams. The building is now known as Marshall–Adams Hall.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and college professor. He served as the 13th President of Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
and served as an expert witness before 36 congressional committees.
Early life
Walter Adams was born in Vienna, Austria in 1922. His father, Edward Adams, was an international linen and diamond merchant; his mother, Ilona Schildkraut, was a homemaker. The family moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 1935, where he attended New Utrecht High SchoolNew Utrecht High School
New Utrecht High School is a coeducational public high school in Brooklyn, New York City, serving 3,114 pupils. It is part of New York City Region 7....
. He earned a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in economics from Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College
Brooklyn College is a senior college of the City University of New York, located in Brooklyn, New York, United States.Established in 1930 by the New York City Board of Higher Education, the College had its beginnings as the Downtown Brooklyn branches of Hunter College and the City College of New...
in 1942, graduating magna cum laude, before joining the U.S. Army in April 1943.
Adams served with distinction in the 83rd Infantry
U.S. 83rd Infantry Division
The 83rd Infantry Division was a formation of the United States Army in World War I and World War II.-World War I:The division was activated in September 1917, and went overseas in June 1918. It was designated a depot division. Thus it supplied over 195,000 officers and enlisted men as...
and 11th Armored
U.S. 11th Armored Division
The US 11th Armored Division was a division of the United States Army in World War II. It was activated on 15 August 1942 at Camp Polk, Louisiana and moved on 24 June 1943 for the Louisiana Maneuvers...
Divisions, landing at Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
in the days following D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
, "participating in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
, and helping to liberate three concentration camps." He earned a battlefield commission as second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
(later attaining the rank of first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
), and in 1945 was awarded the Bronze Star
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
for heroic conduct.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
ended, Adams returned to his wife, Pauline Gordon (they had wed on August 23, 1943), and his studies and completed his MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and Ph.D
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1946 and 1947. The couple's only child, William James Adams, was born in 1947.
Professor of economics
Walter Adams joined the faculty of Michigan State College (now Michigan State UniversityMichigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
) in 1947. He became a professor in 1956, and was honored with the title Distinguished Professor just four years later.
Throughout his career, Adams wrote many books and papers, including The Bigness Complex: Industry, Labor, and Government in the American Economy; The Tobacco Wars; and Adam Smith Goes to Moscow. He frequently traveled to Washington, D.C., where he served as an expert witness at Congressional budget hearings.
For many years at Michigan State, Adams taught a senior-level class (known in the course catalog as Economics 444) on American enterprise and public policy. It was widely reputed to be one of the most difficult yet rewarding courses available at MSU. One veteran of the class wrote, "Students who signed up for Econ 444 knew that they were going for the educational adventure of their lives."
President of MSU
Following the resignation of John A. HannahJohn A. Hannah
John Alfred Hannah was president of Michigan State College for 28 years, making him the longest serving of MSU's presidents. He is credited with transforming the school from a little-known, regional agricultural college into a large national research institution...
in 1969, Adams was asked by the Board of Trustees to serve as interim president while a selection process could be undertaken. Adams accepted, and was sworn in as Michigan State's 13th President on April 1, 1969.
His brief, nine-month term was marked by the same campus unrest and student protests that were occurring across the United States in 1969. Adams was, however, frequently able to defuse tense situations using a combination of self-effacing humor and a willingness to engage the students personally in open dialogue.
In spite of his limited administrative experience, Walter Adams carried Michigan State University through a very difficult period in student/establishment relations. The students' positive impression of him may be seen in the numerous pro-Adams editorials that were published in the student paper, The State News. His success can be measured by the fact that toward the end of his term, petitions requesting that he remain as president had collected the signatures of some 950 faculty and 20,000 students—approximately half of the entire student body. However, he stuck to his original promise, and on January 1, 1970, Walter Adams returned to what he considered his true calling, economics.
In 1971, Adams published a memoir of his experiences as president, titled The Test.
Legacy
During his career, Walter Adams wrote more than a dozen economics books and untold numbers of scholarly papers. He retired from MSU in 1992 and became the Vernon F. Taylor Distinguished Professor of Economics at Trinity UniversityTrinity University (Texas)
Trinity University is a private, independent, primarily undergraduate, university in San Antonio, Texas. Its campus is located in the Monte Vista Historic District and adjacent to Brackenridge Park....
that same year, a position he held until his death. Trinity's Department of Economics established the Walter Adams Prize for Excellence in Economics in his honor, "to recognize a graduating economics major at Trinity who has achieved great distinction in scholarship and involvement in the life of the University community."
Beyond his scholarly prowess, Walter Adams is remembered at Michigan State as being the "ultimate Spartan fan." He held season tickets to seats directly behind the visiting team's bench in Jenison Fieldhouse
Jenison Fieldhouse
Jenison Fieldhouse is a 10,004 seat, later reduced to 6,000 seat multi-purpose arena in East Lansing, Michigan. The arena opened in 1940 and was named for alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison, whose estate, along with PWAP funds, funded the building...
, where basketball games were played through the 1988–89 season. (Today, an NCAA rule prohibits this.) "Ears were assailed by his piercing voice as he stridently ragged the opposing coach and offered advice to our own coaches on how to defeat the enemy." Coach Bobby Knight
Bobby Knight
-Indiana:When Indiana University was seeking a new coach in 1971, they turned to Knight. Knight was given the nickname "The General" by former University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons coach-turned-broadcaster Dick Vitale....
, then of Indiana
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, who often received the brunt of Adams's vitriol, began a pre-game gift exchange with Adams as an attempt at appeasement (to little avail).
Walter Adams donated instruments to the Spartan Marching Band
Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band
The Spartan Marching Band is Michigan State University's Marching Band. Founded in 1870 as a 10-member student group, the 300-member SMB has since grown into one of the premier college bands in the nation...
and was made an "honorary band member," a rare honor. Each fall he would put on his band jacket and a green Tyrolean hat
Tyrolean hat
The Tyrolean hat is a type of fedora hat named for the Tyrol in the Alps. It is essentially the shape known as the Trilby. Tyrolean hats are made of felt, traditionally having a corded hatband and a feather on the side as trim....
with green-and-white plume, place one of his trademark cigars between his teeth, and lead the band in its march to the stadium. He was known as the "Number One Band Fan." Today a scholarship for a marching band member demonstrating academic excellence is endowed in Adams' name.
Walter Adams died at home of pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
on September 8, 1998. Soon after his death, the former army cadet drill field west of the Music Building, from which the Spartan Marching Band steps off to march to the stadium on football Saturdays, was renamed from Landon Field (after the nearby residence hall) to Walter Adams Field. A commemorative garden, plaque and park bench, nestled at the edge of the field midway between Cowles House
Cowles House
Alice B. Cowles House is a structure on the campus of Michigan State University. It is the oldest extant building on MSU's campus, though only the foundation and two exterior walls remain from the original 1857 construction.Originally built to house faculty before the founding of what is now East...
and the Music Building, were later added.
In 2002 a former student and protégé of Adams, MSU Trustee Randall L. Pittman, along with his wife Mary, donated USD $6 million to restore and update Marshall Hall, a former bacteriology laboratory which has long held offices of the Department of Economics. For their generosity the Pittmans were allowed to append a name to the building, and they chose to honor Walter Adams. The building is now known as Marshall–Adams Hall.
External links
- Walter Adams – Remembrance, list of accomplishments, and the Walter Adams Prize for Excellence in Economics at Trinity University.
- M.A.C. Bacteriology Laboratory – today known as Marshall–Adams Hall
- Book review of The Test by Walter Adams.