Divinity School Prof. Adams Dies at Age of 92

Mallinckrodt Professor of Divinity Emeritus James L. Adams died last Tuesday. He was 92.

Adams, a well-known social ethicist, taught at the Divinity School from 1956 to 1968. Harvard awarded him a 350th Anniversary Medal in 1986 for distinguished service to the University.

The professor specialized in American social issues, especially issues dealing with public policy, religion and social responsibility.

In 1992, the Divinity School began a campaign to raise funds for a chair in social ethics in his honor.

Born in Ritzville, Washington in 1901, Adams received his bachelor's degree in 1924 at the University of Minnesota. He earned his bachelor's of the knowledge of theology at the Harvard Divinity School in 1927, his master's degree at the University in 1930 and his Ph.D in at the University of Chicago in 1945.

In the late 1930s, he went to Germany and started recording the work of church leaders, preachers and theologians working against the Nazi party. He was detained by the Gestapo, who also briefly took away his passport, for a time.

Adams wrote several articles and books, including On Being Human Religiously, The Prophethood of All Believers and An Examined faith: Social Context and Religious Commitment. He translated and interpreted German theologians Paul Tillich and Ernst Troeltsch.

Besides his time at Harvard, Adams taught at the Meadville Theological School in Chicago until 1956 and then again in the late 1970s, when he also taught at the University of Chicago. In addition, he was Distinguished Professor of Social Ethics at Andover-Newton Theological School between his retirement from Harvard andhis return to Chicago.

Adams was ordained a Unitarian minister in1927, and served as minister to three Unitariancongregations in Massachusetts.

He ordained several collaboratice projects withother graduate schools at Harvard, such as the LawSchool and the Business School.

Adams helped found the Fellowship for Racialand Economic Equality and the Journal of Law andReligion. He was chair of the Committee onInternational Organizations for the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences and a Protestantobserver at Vatican II.

Admas' wife, Margaret A. Young '27-'36, died in1978. He is survived by three daughters--M. EloiseAdams of Bethesda, Ma., Elaine Miller of Madison,Wis., and Barbara Thompson of Oak Park, III. Healso leaves behind seven grandchildren and twosisters, Mary Ella Adams and Lula Hage.

A memorial service will be held in the fall,according to the Divinity School

Adams was ordained a Unitarian minister in1927, and served as minister to three Unitariancongregations in Massachusetts.

He ordained several collaboratice projects withother graduate schools at Harvard, such as the LawSchool and the Business School.

Adams helped found the Fellowship for Racialand Economic Equality and the Journal of Law andReligion. He was chair of the Committee onInternational Organizations for the AmericanAcademy of Arts and Sciences and a Protestantobserver at Vatican II.

Admas' wife, Margaret A. Young '27-'36, died in1978. He is survived by three daughters--M. EloiseAdams of Bethesda, Ma., Elaine Miller of Madison,Wis., and Barbara Thompson of Oak Park, III. Healso leaves behind seven grandchildren and twosisters, Mary Ella Adams and Lula Hage.

A memorial service will be held in the fall,according to the Divinity School