In Loving Memory A T R IBUTE C E L E BR ATING TH E L IF E A ND L E GAC Y O F
r. Clara Isabel Adams January 20, 1933—August 5, 2020
Ten O’clock in the Morning Friday, August Fourteenth Two Thousand and Twenty James H. and Louise Hayley Gilliam Concert Hall Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center Morgan State University Baltimore, Maryland
Officiant Rev. Dr. LaReesa Smith-Horn Retired Elder, Baltimore-Washington Conference, United Methodist Church
CLARA ISABEL ADAMS, PH.D., LL.D. Sunrise: January 20, 1933 — Sunset: August 5, 2020
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I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8, King James Bible
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The Obituary
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R.
CLARA ISABEL ADAMS was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 20, 1933, to the late William S. Adams, Sr., and the late Mary Emma Cornish Adams. She was the second daughter of the five Adams children. Clara departed this life on August 5, 2020. Clara was educated in Baltimore City Public Schools and at Morgan State College (now Morgan State University), where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry. She later earned a Master of Science Degree at Iowa State College and then went on to attain a Doctor of Philosophy Degree at the University of Massachusetts. Clara accepted Christ as her personal savior at a young age and was a lifelong member and faithful supporter of Christ United Methodist Church in East Baltimore. She was a gentle woman who loved to travel with her sisters and was renowned for her generosity, thoughtfulness and kindness. She was always searching out the perfect souvenir or gift for her loved ones. Clara had a very distinguished career. While pursuing her Master’s Degree in the 1950s, she was a “hidden figure” who worked as a research fellow at the Ames Laboratory of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. She later worked as a chemist at the National Heart Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Clara was also a lifelong educator who dedicated much of her time, energy, and wealth to the noble cause of educational equity and academic opportunity for all students of color in the United States. Her crowning achievement was her 60 years of service to Morgan State University. Beginning in 1958, she served in various roles of ever-increasing responsibility, including Professor of Chemistry, Chairperson of the Chemistry Department, Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Special Assistant to the President. In August of 2018, at the seasoned age of 85, Clara retired to spend her remaining time with her loving family. Clara was highly committed to her community and the advancement of her people. Her deep roots in the community included membership in the Epsilon Omega Chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; membership on the Boards (Directors, Trustees and Overseers) of the National Aquarium, Morgan Christian and Interfaith Center, and the Baltimore School for the Arts; and a number of other community development, educational and cultural organizations. Clara leaves to cherish her memory: one sister, Gloria Adams Jones; one brother, Harold W. Adams; a brother-in-law, Marshall W. Jones, Jr.; three sisters-in-law, Regina Adams, Betty Adams, and Amy Adams; three nieces, Iris Bellamy (Reginald) of Maryland, Sharron Ward (Tory) of Virginia, and Marshell Jones Kumahor (Brian) of New Jersey; three nephews, 4
Steven Adams (Marianrique) of Pennsylvania, Keith Tyler of Texas, and Damon Jenkins (Faye) of Pennsylvania; three great-nieces, Allysha Adams, Asia Adams, and Amir Adams; six great-nephews, Todd Shelton, Anatole Gboizo (Danielle), Thomas and David Newby, and Maxwell and Kingsley Kumahor; one great great-niece, Adrielle Gboizo; and a host of other beloved relatives and friends. The Family
Clara Adams with brother Harold and his wife Amy and sisters Irma and Gloria
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Family Photo Gallery
ABOVE: (L) Dr. Clara Adams, (R) Dr. Adams with sister Gloria Adams Jones. BELOW: (L) Dr. Adams, niece Iris Bellamy and brother-in-law Marshall Jones, Jr., (R) great niece Amir Adams, Clara Adams and great niece-in-law Rique Adams
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Family Photo Gallery
ABOVE: Dr. Adams Clara Adams, great nephew Anatole Gboizo, sister Gloria Adams Jones, niece Iris Bellamy, and great nephews Maxwell and Kingsley Kumahor;. BELOW: (L) Dr. Adams with great nephew Maxwell Kumahor, (R) Clara with sister Gloria
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The Morgan Legacy of DR. CLARA ISABEL ADAMS
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r. Clara I. Adams was a distinguished graduate of Morgan State College. She earned the Bachelor of Science Degree (summa cum laude) in chemistry here and, three years later, took the Master of Science Degree at Iowa State College. Later she earned the Doctor of Philosophy Degree at the University of Massachusetts (in cooperation with Smith College, Mt. Holyoke College and Amherst College), where she focused her research on “Local Order in Alkali-Halide Solid Solutions.” After being graduated from Morgan, Dr. Adams served as a research fellow at the Ames Laboratory of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission, while pursuing the master’s degree at Iowa. Thereafter, she was employed as a chemist at the National Heart Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Her long tenure on the faculty and administration at Morgan began in 1958, when she was appointed Assistant Professor of Chemistry. After taking leave from Morgan and while pursuing her doctorate at Massachusetts, she was a Teaching Fellow and a Research Fellow at Smith College; and she returned to her Alma Mater in 1968 as Associate Professor of Chemistry. Her ascendancy from that moment was steady and sure-footed. From 1973 to 1975, after receiving her doctorate in 1970, she was Professor of Chemistry and Chairperson of the Chemistry Department. From 1975 to 1985, she was Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, and, after her ten-year tenure in that position, she was selected to head the Academic Division at Morgan. Dr. Adams was appointed Vice President for Academic Affairs at Morgan in January 1986, after serving as acting Vice President for Academic Affairs from July to December 1985. She was appointed to the post of chief academic officer on the unanimous recommendation of the search committee, and she entered into this position during a time of critical challenges to Morgan’s survival—one that questioned the quality of academic programs and proposed the merger of Maryland’s historically black colleges and universities into a larger University of Maryland System. The calm elegance and intrepid persistence with which she maintained the integrity of Morgan’s academic program made her near-twenty--year tenure as Vice President for Academic Affairs one of the most significant in Morgan’s history.
Associate Professor of Chemistry, 1968
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Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, 1975
Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, 1976
Under the leadership and the watchful eye of Vice President Clara I. Adams, the Academic Division grew and was enhanced, and Morgan, as a consequence, moved steadily toward becoming a university, not only in name, but also in fact. Growth in virtually every aspect of the academic program was significant, sometimes phenomenal. Under Dr. Adams’s watch, five new bachelor’s degree programs, six new master’s degree programs, and 11 new doctoral programs were approved or implemented; the quality of students (Continued on page 12)
Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, 1979
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Farewell, Sweet Princess. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
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Order of Service Rev. Dr. LaReesa Smith-Horn, Officiant Opening Hymn ........................................................................................... “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” Video of Performance by the Morgan State University Choir Prayer of Comfort ................................................................................................ Soror Audrey Bennett Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Epsilon Omega Chapter The Word of God Old Testament ............................................................................................ Asia Adams, Great Niece Ecclesiastes 3:9-14 New Testament .......................................................................................... Amir Adams, Great Niece 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Expressions of Comfort .......................................................................... Rev. Dr. LaReesa Smith-Horn Retired Elder, Baltimore-Washington Conference, United Methodist Church Reflections (Two Minutes) ........................................................................................................................ ..................The Honorable Kweisi Mfume, Chair, Board of Regents, Morgan State University .............................................................Dr. David Wilson, President, Morgan State University ..................................... Dr. Earl S. Richardson, President Emeritus, Morgan State University .................................. The Reverend Canon Dr. Sandy A. Wilson, President, Du Bois Circle ................................... Ms. Michele McNeill-Emery, President, Coalition of 100 Black Women .......................................................................................................... Steven Adams, Nephew Musical Selection ........................................................................................................... “Precious Lord” Anitra McKinney, Soprano, Morgan State University Choir Accompanied by Dr. Eric Conway, Director, Morgan State University Choir Resolutions (Two Minutes) .............................. Dr. Tanya Ringgold, Basileus, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., Epsilon Omega Chapter Ms. Stephanie Pettaway, President’s Committee for the MSU Choir Silent Reading of the Obituary ..................................................................... Music by Dr. Eric Conway Musical Selection ............................................................................................... “God and God Alone” Pastor Steve Jones, Greater Hope Church of God in Christ Accompanied by Dr. Eric Conway Eulogy ................................................................................................................... Rev. Twanda Prioleau Pastor, Christ United Methodist Church Recessional Hymn ............................................................................................... “The Lord Be Praised” Video of Performance by the Morgan State University Choir
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(Continued from page 9)
entering and graduating from Morgan increased; all eligible academic programs achieved national accreditation; sponsored research increased exponentially; and Morgan led other state institutions in the graduation of minorities in many fields. Dr. Adams, a true Renaissance Woman, while making significant scholarly contributions to her field by publishing in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Anal. Chem. ACTA, was involved extensively in the community and in professional organizations associated with higher education. On the Council of Graduate Studies, she served on a number of committees and was regional representative on its Board of Directors. For the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools, she served on the Executive Committee for two years and led the organization as President, 1984-86. She served as both Vice President and President of the Conference of Deans of Black Graduate Schools and held membership on the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Other affiliations included the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Association of University Professors, the American Chemical Society, the Association of American Colleges, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (Commission on Higher Education, periodic review teams), and the Quality Education for Minorities Network, on which she served as a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer. In 2010, she was named a Living Legend for her work in higher education by the Associated Black Charities of Maryland. Her community involvement was broad and varied. It included, among many others, membership on the Boards (Directors, Trustees and Overseers) of the National Aquarium, Morgan Christian and Interfaith Center, and Baltimore School for the Arts; and membership on many community development, educational and cultural associations. After serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs for nearly 20 years, Dr. Adams was appointed Special Assistant to the President in 2004, a position in which she served for 14 years, until her retirement in August 2018, bringing to a close one of the longest and most extraordinary service records in the history of Morgan State University—60 years!
(L) Vice President for Academic Affairs, 1987; (C) Dr. Adams, speaking at Morgan Renaissance Banquet, and Dr. Burney J. Hollis; (R) Dr. Adams assisting President Richardson at groundbreaking ceremony for the School of Engineering.
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ABOVE: Dr. Adams assists President Earl S. Richardson in conferring an honorary degree on choral director and actor Jester Hairston in 1991. BELOW: Dr. Adams poses, at her retirement celebration, with three of the five Morgan presidents under whom she served: current President David Wilson, former President Andrew Billlingsley and former President Earl S. Richardson.
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Photos from College-Naming and Retirement Ceremonies
TOP: Dr. Adams and President David Wilson at College-Naming Ceremony; MIDDLE: (L) Dr. Anna McPhatter, Dr. Adams, Dr. Cynthia Bragg and Dr. Willie Bragg at Retirement Celebration, (R) Dr. Willie Bragg (who passed away four days before Dr. Adams) and Dr. Clara Adams at College-Naming Ceremony; BELOW: Dr. Clara Adams with Dr. Cecil W. Payton at College-Naming Ceremony
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Photos from College-Naming and Retirement Ceremonies
ABOVE: Three Vice Presidents for Academic Affairs—Dr. T. Joan Robinson, Dr. Clara Adams and Dr. Gloria Gibson; BELOW: (L) former President Earl S. Richardson and Dr. Adams, (R) Dr. Adams—all at College-Naming Ceremony
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Photos from College-Naming and Retirement Ceremonies
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ABOVE: (L) Dr. Adams and President Wilson at College-Naming Ceremony, (R) Dr. Anna McPhatter, Dr. Adams and Dr. Yvonne Bronner at Retirement Celebration; MIDDLE: (L) Dr. Joan Robinson, Dr. Adams, President Wilson and QEM President and CEO Dr. Ivory A. Tolson at College-Naming Ceremony; (R) Dr. Adams speaks at College-Naming Ceremony; BELOW: Board Chair Kweisi Mfume, Dr. Adams and President Wilson at a luncheon
A Tribute to My “Sister”
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have known Dr. Adams now for 27 years. But it seems that I have known her all of my life. She has been the most gracious,
precious, classy, loving person to me and my family.
Since she was brought into my life, I have been truly blessed to have had her as my friend. I remember when my mother met Dr. Adams and her sisters. During their conversation, my mother, who was very insightful, turned to me and said, “You are her little sister and she is your big sister, so you all must take care of each other.” So, Dr. Adams and her family are extended members of my family. Dr. Adams was my confidant, a true friend, my mentor and my sister. We traveled together to my home in Trinidad and Tobago for the carnival; we travelled to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Canada, California and several other places together. In California, I remember that we went to one of Denzel Washington’s restaurants. When we entered, I Dr. T. Joan Robinson and Dr. Clara learned that Denzel Washington had roots in Trinidad, so I asked the Adams at her retirement celebration manager to make sure that, when Denzel Washington arrived from the Laker’s game, he would visit our table; and he did! We were all so excited, but the smile on Dr. Adams’s face was unforgettable. Over the years, we also went to several events and went shopping together. She accompanied me to the weddings of two of my brothers, my niece Saran, and my nephew Allen. She held my twin nephews (now 21, and students at Morgan) as babies and some of my grandnieces and grandnephews and would enjoy hearing the things that they would say. We all loved her dearly. Before accepting the position as Provost at Morgan, I told Dr. Richardson (former President of Morgan) that I could not accept the position unless Dr. Adams knew and sanctioned it. I was determined that I was not going to be in that position without her blessing. I did not want anything to get in the way of our friendship. So I also spoke with her about it. Our honesty with each other made our friendship stronger. We had that type of friendship—friends who were true sisters. Before retiring, I discussed my plans for retirement with her and told her that I was not only retiring but that I had to move to a place with a warmer climate for my health. We remained close even after we both retired. I visited her at her nephew Steven’s home in York, Pennsylvania, and we continue regularly chatting until her passing. As my sister, she was part of all of the excitements, trials and problems in my life. I shared the best in my life with her. Recently, within the last month, when my nephew Allen opened his new oral surgery practice in DC, we talked about him and his kids. She enjoyed the pictures I texted to her of my grandnieces and grandnephews, and she was just as excited as I was about them. Our friendship and sisterhood were beautiful while it lasted. We stood by each other. When her nephew Steven notified me that she had passed, I felt numbed. I could not comprehend that she was gone from her earthly home because I had spoken to her only a week or so before, and her voice was so strong. We spoke about my illness, my brother’s cancer, her illness, the situation in the world today, the politics, the protests that were taking place around the world and how my nephews were doing at Morgan. Our conversations were so comforting. Dr. Adams and I had fun together. I will miss her smile and laughter. We even said that, when this situation with the coronavirus ends, we would make it a point to visit and spend time with each other. So, farewell, my sister. Now that you are in the heavenly house with the angels, I will forever have you in my thoughts, and I will keep our treasured memories in my heart until we meet again.
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Morgan State University
Celebrating the Life and Work of
Dr. Clara Isabel Adams Alumna, Scholar, Venerable Academic Leader, Colleague and Friend WHEREAS, the Morgan Legend and Legacy of Dr. Clara Isabel Adams began in 1954, when she received the Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Morgan State College, and continued in 1959, when she joined the faculty of Morgan State College as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, bringing with her impressive credentials from Iowa State College, where she took the Master of Science Degree, as well as experience as a Research Fellow at the Ames Laboratory of the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission and as a chemist at the National Heart Institute of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland; and WHEREAS, after teaching at Morgan for a number of years and taking leave of absence to pursue her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts (in cooperation with Smith College, Mt. Holyoke College and Amherst College), she returned to her Alma Mater in 1968 as an Associate Professor of Chemistry and, based on her outstanding performance in the classroom, her demonstrated potential as educational leader and her having earned the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in 1970, began her ascent in the academic administration and leadership at Morgan; and WHEREAS, over the next 45 years, from 1973 to her retirement in 2018, Dr. Clara I. Adams became one of the major academic leaders at Morgan and was a visionary and sustaining force in directing and enabling Morgan’s transition from a college to a university after 1975—first as Chemistry Department Chair (19731975), then as Dean of the School of Graduate Studies (1975-1985), next as Vice President for Academic Affairs (1985-2004), and, finally, as Special Assistant to the President (2004-2018); and WHEREAS, the thirty-four years (1973-2004) of the academic leadership of Clara I. Adams, especially her years as Vice President for Academic Affairs, during the period often referred to as “The Morgan Renaissance,” constituted one of the major eras in Morgan’s development, especially in its academic program inventory— with five new bachelor’s degree programs, six new master’s degree programs, and eleven new doctoral programs; witnessed national accreditation of all of its eligible programs; and moved the University forward in becoming the state’s and one of the nation’s leaders in graduating African Americans and minorities in major critical fields; and WHEREAS, during her years of academic leadership, Dr. Clara I. Adams, “The Lady Behind the Morgan Renaissance,” was the staunch, intrepid protector and guardian of the academic integrity of Morgan’s academic programs and ensured growth in quantity and quality that would lead, later, to the Carnegie reclassification of Morgan from a comprehensive institution to a doctoral research university and to acceleration of the institutions fight for parity and equity in higher education; and WHEREAS, Dr. Clara I. Adams earned and held, universally, the respect, approbation and esteem of her colleagues at Morgan and became, for all associated with Morgan, both symbol and substance of an academic leader who was committed to the highest academic standards, to the soundest academic principles, to strict adherence to academic policies and procedures, and to maintaining the uncompromised and uncompromising integrity of academics at Morgan; and WHEREAS, even after her departure as leader of the Academic Division at Morgan in 2004, Dr. Clara I. Adams continued, as Special Assistant to the President for thirteen years, to provide wise counsel and guidance, for two Morgan presidents, from one whose tenure at Morgan already spanned a half-century and whose
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nearly encyclopedic and photographic knowledge of the institution’s history and traditions before and during her tenure and of higher education in the state and nation was unparalleled and unsurpassed at the institution; and WHEREAS, Dr. Clara I. Adams was a record-breaker and a path--finder in twentieth- and twenty-first-century academic leadership at Morgan—as the longest-serving Vice President for Academic Affairs; as the VPAA under whose watch the greatest number of doctoral programs were approved and implemented; as the second-longest continuously-serving faculty member/administrator in the 153-year history of the institution; and as a faculty member and administrator whose service spanned the terms of five inaugurated Morgan presidents; and WHEREAS, Morgan State University recognized the singularity of the service and the unrivaled substantiality of her contributions to the institution by naming her Outstanding Morgan Woman in 2000, giving her the Outstanding Faculty Alumni Award in 2013, establishing the Clara I. Adams Honors College in 2015, and awarding her the honorary degree Doctor of Laws in 2018, proclaiming her “an alumna in whose success and nearly unprecedented devotion the University takes great pride and satisfaction and to whom the University is greatly indebted”; and WHEREAS, Dr. Clara I. Adams will go down in history as a loyal, dedicated, resourceful, uncompromising and venerable alumna, whose commitment to Morgan State University extended throughout the duration of her career in academe and throughout her life; and WHEREAS, this day finds the Morgan Family greatly bereaved at the passing of Dr. Clara I. Adams, but also extremely and eternally grateful for her sixty years of outstanding service to Morgan State College and Morgan State University and to higher education. Therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Morgan State University Family, which extends across the country and around the world, salute Dr. Clara I. Adams for her nearly unprecedented sixty years of service to Morgan; for her record of scholarship; for her unflagging and long-standing devotion to higher education and her Alma Mater; and for her great achievement as educator and educational leader. Be it further RESOLVED, that the Morgan Community convey its condolences and gratitude to the immediate family of Dr. Clara I. Adams and comfort them and others whose lives were touched by this visionary and dedicated educator with the reassuring observation that hers was a life dedicated to the great cause and committed to the noble ideal of elevating the minds and hearts of young people seeking to make use of their talents, to grow and to become better and to the unrelenting modern-day campaign for equity and parity in the education of African Americans and other minorities. Be it finally RESOLVED, that a copy of these resolutions be spread upon the archives of Morgan State University as a sign of our high regard and sincere gratitude for her service, her unparalleled devotion, and her achievement. Done by Order of the Board of Regents, Faculty, Administration, Staff, Students and Alumni of Morgan State University on this Fourteenth Day of August in the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand and Twenty.
_______________________________________________ David Kwabena Wilson, President
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The Clara I. Adams Memorial Scholarship Fund Dr. Clara Adams gave generously of her time and money to many causes at Morgan State University. In recognition of her love for Morgan, the family requests that donations be made to the Morgan State University Foundation “In Memory of Dr. Clara I. Adams.� The funds will provide scholarships annually for outstanding honor students. Checks should be made to: Morgan State University Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 64261 Baltimore, MD 21264-4261
Acknowledgements The family acknowledges, with a deep sense of gratitude, the many and varied expressions of sympathy and love that we have received. May God bless each of you and keep you in His care.
Interment Woodlawn Cemetery & Chapel 2130 Woodlawn Drive Baltimore, Maryland 21207
Professional Services Entrusted to March Funeral Homes, East 1101 E. North Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21202
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