Oscar Adams
Encyclopedia
Oscar William Adams, Jr. (February 7, 1925 – February 15, 1997) was the first African-American Alabama Supreme Court
justice and the first African American elected to statewide office in Alabama
(including the Reconstruction era).
Born in Birmingham, Alabama
, Adams was a 1940 graduate of A. H. Parker High School
. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in philosophy at Talladega College
in 1944 and a law degree at Howard University
in Washington D. C. in 1947. He was admitted to the Alabama Bar that year and launched his own private practice, specializing in Civil Rights cases, often on behalf of Fred Shuttlesworth
's Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
. During 1963's Birmingham Campaign
Adams was a member of the Central Committee that met at the A. G. Gaston Motel to plan demonstrations.
Adams became the first African American to join the Birmingham Bar Association in 1966. In 1967 he partnered with white attorney Harvey Burg to form the state's first integrated legal practice. The firm he later founded with James Baker and U. W. Clemon
(Adams, Baker and Clemon) was one of the foremost law firms to litigate Civil Rights cases in the 1960s and 70s.
Adams was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court on October 10, 1980 by Governor Fob James
. He won re-election in 1982 and 1988. He taught classes in appellate and trial advocacy at Samford University
's Cumberland School of Law
. He retired from the bench on October 31, 1993 in order to spend time writing a memoir. Governor James appointed Ralph Cook to finish his term.
Adams married twice. He fathered three children (Gail, Oscar III and Frank) with his first wife, the former Willa Intersoll.
Adams died from an infection related to cancer at Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham. He was survived by his children, 10 grandchildren, and his second wife Anne-Marie. Gadsden's
Oscar W. Adams Elementary School was named in his honor in 1983. He was inducted into the Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2005 and to the Birmingham Gallery of Distinguished Citizens in 2008.
Alabama Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Alabama is the highest court in the state of Alabama. The court consists of an elected Chief Justice and eight elected Associate Justices. Each justice is elected in partisan elections for staggered six year terms. The Governor of Alabama may fill vacancies when they occur...
justice and the first African American elected to statewide office in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
(including the Reconstruction era).
Born in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, Adams was a 1940 graduate of A. H. Parker High School
A. H. Parker High School
A.H. Parker High School is a public high school located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school educates over 1,000 students in grades 9 to 12 in the Birmingham City Schools district.As of 2010 the principal is Cedric Tatum.- History :A.H...
. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree in philosophy at Talladega College
Talladega College
- External Links :* -- Official web site*...
in 1944 and a law degree at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
in Washington D. C. in 1947. He was admitted to the Alabama Bar that year and launched his own private practice, specializing in Civil Rights cases, often on behalf of Fred Shuttlesworth
Fred Shuttlesworth
Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, born Freddie Lee Robinson, was a U.S. civil rights activist who led the fight against segregation and other forms of racism as a minister in Birmingham, Alabama...
's Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights
The Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights was a Civil Rights organization in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, which coordinated boycotts and sponsored federal lawsuits aimed at dismantling segregation in Birmingham and Alabama through the 1950s and 60s...
. During 1963's Birmingham Campaign
Birmingham campaign
The Birmingham campaign was a strategic movement organized by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to bring attention to the unequal treatment that black Americans endured in Birmingham, Alabama...
Adams was a member of the Central Committee that met at the A. G. Gaston Motel to plan demonstrations.
Adams became the first African American to join the Birmingham Bar Association in 1966. In 1967 he partnered with white attorney Harvey Burg to form the state's first integrated legal practice. The firm he later founded with James Baker and U. W. Clemon
U. W. Clemon
U. W. Clemon is a retired federal judge.Clemon was born in Fairfield, Alabama. At age 13, he decided to become a lawyer. While a student at Miles College in 1962, he confronted the infamous Bull Connor over Birmingham's segregation laws. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King during the...
(Adams, Baker and Clemon) was one of the foremost law firms to litigate Civil Rights cases in the 1960s and 70s.
Adams was appointed to the Alabama Supreme Court on October 10, 1980 by Governor Fob James
Fob James
Forrest Hood James, Jr., known as Fob James , is an American politician, a civil engineer, and an all-American half-back...
. He won re-election in 1982 and 1988. He taught classes in appellate and trial advocacy at Samford University
Samford University
Samford University, founded as Howard College is a private, coeducational, Alabama Baptist Convention-affiliated university located in Homewood, a suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, United States. It includes the , Cumberland School of Law, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, Brock School of Business, Ida V....
's Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law
Cumberland School of Law is an ABA accredited law school at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. The 11th oldest law school in the United States, it is 160 years old and has more than 11,000 graduates. Its alumni include two United States Supreme Court Justices; Nobel Peace Prize recipient...
. He retired from the bench on October 31, 1993 in order to spend time writing a memoir. Governor James appointed Ralph Cook to finish his term.
Adams married twice. He fathered three children (Gail, Oscar III and Frank) with his first wife, the former Willa Intersoll.
Adams died from an infection related to cancer at Baptist Medical Center in Birmingham. He was survived by his children, 10 grandchildren, and his second wife Anne-Marie. Gadsden's
Gadsden, Alabama
The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...
Oscar W. Adams Elementary School was named in his honor in 1983. He was inducted into the Alabama Lawyers Hall of Fame in 2005 and to the Birmingham Gallery of Distinguished Citizens in 2008.
External links
- Oscar W. Adams, Jr profile at "Alabama Moments in American History". Alabama Department of Archives and History