Class of 1919

Paul Adams

Freshman Class Vice President 1915-16; Debate team 1916-17; Awarded “Champion Boy Farmer” by Oklahoma Boys and Girls Club with $100 scholarship to Oklahoma A. & M. College, Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Dr. Paul Grundy Adams

July 5, 1899 – April 24, 1981

Dr. Paul G. Adams, 81, of 1806 N. Husband, retired as a U. S. Government official in foreign agricultural relations, died Friday, April 24, 1981, in Stillwater Medical Center.

He was born July 5, 1899, in Loretto, Washington County, Kentucky, the son of Elisha H. and Ida Lou Adams. After graduation from Perry high school he earned his bachelor’s in 1922, his master’s in 1954, and his doctorate in 1956, all from Oklahoma State University. Majors were in animal husbandry, agricultural education and his doctor of education with specialization in agricultural extension and education. He did graduate study at Northwestern University and Cornell University.

He and the form Sylvia J. Rasmussen were married June 3, 1923, at Enid.

His career, which took him to many foreign countries, began in July 1922, as Garber High School principal. He came to the university faculty at Stillwater in 1925. In the late 1940s he was the advisor to the Minister of Agriculture at Managua, Nicaragua and later was an employee of the U. S. Foreign Agricultural Service, working as an interpreter for Guatemala projects and later as an advisor for Cuban, British Columbia and Morocco officials. He was a Peace Corps supervisor in Venezuela under Sargeant Shriver shortly before he retired to Stillwater in 1965.

Since retirement he had served on individual assignments as a technical assistant to the USDA acting as a tour director and interpreter for groups of ranchers from Latin America.

He had been a deacon in Baptist churches in Evanston, Ill., and Stillwater; was a 32nd degree Mason; a member of Frontier Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite Consistory at Guthrie, was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, was a past president of the Stillwater chapter of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, was past president of the OSU Half Century club.

Honorary memberships were with Delta Sigma Alpha, Alpha Zeta, Kappa Kappa Psi.

A daughter, Mary Ann Rucker preceded him in death.

Surviving is his wife of the home; a son, Paul J. Adams of Moore, and a daughter, Mrs. Jack (Marjorie Lou) Morey of Arlington, Texas; 10 grandchildren; a brother, Joe H. Adams of Tulsa; three sisters, Mrs. Estelle Trimble of Benton, Kanas, Mrs. Allien Kruse, and Mrs. Ted (Iva) Phillips, both of Perry.