Minister, educator and civil rights leader. 87th Elected & Consecrated Bishop of The African Methodist Episcopal Church. A nationwide religious, civil rights leader, a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (Adams was a known figure at many MLK-led marches.) and a “spiritual father” to countless believers. Throughout his career, he was recognized for his eloquence, his independent and critical thinking, his strong administrative skill, his commitment to the A.M.E. Church and to the African American community. He stood out in the A.M.E. Church and among activists in the nation’s fight for racial justice. In 1972, Adams was elected as a bishop in the church and he proceeded to preside over five separate Episcopal Districts that included the Tenth District that covers the entire state of Texas in the 1970s and the Second Episcopal District that covers the Washington and Baltimore areas from 1980-1988 and his home district of South Carolina from 1992-2000. He became a senior bishop of the AME Church in 1988 and retired in 2005. He was among those who fought for South Carolina to recognize Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's. birthday as a state holiday. (South Carolina was the last state in the nation to do so.) Beyond his religious and political pulpits, Adams’ career included serving as president of Paul Quinn College in Waco, Tex., Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) in Atlanta. He served on the Board of trustees of Allen University in Pennsylvania, Edward Waters College in Florida, and Morris Brown College. He was the founder of the Congress of National Black Churches, Inc., in 1978, which coordinated black churches of all denominations from around the country. He was active with the Joint Center on Political and Economic Studies, TransAfrica, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He was a recipient of 9 Honorary Doctorates and numerous leadership awards. Adams passed away at 90 years old.