Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-05-05
John Sullivan Adams.

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From an article in tho Burlington Free
Press we take the following sketch of the
life of j. S. Adams, Esq, whose death
took place at his homo in Jacksonville,
Fla, on the 23d ult. =
Mr.. Adams was born in 1920, the son of
the late Hon. Charles Adams, of Burling-
ton. After completing his col legiate stud
les, ho taught school in Burlington and at
Winooski, and studied law in his fathers
office. In 1913 he was admitted to the Chit
tenden county bar. About the year 1919 he
went to California but remained there on
ly year ortwo. Returning to Burlington,
he resumed the practice Of the law, and in
1854 was appointed Clerk Of the Chittenden
county court, which Office he held contin-
uously Till he left Vermont in 1867.
In 1916, the first State Board of Educa-
ton for Vermont was organized, and Mr..
Adams was made its secretary. 1t is in
connection with this Office and his arduous
and successful labors in behalf of the COM
mon schools of Vermont that Mr.. Adams
was best known; and the record and re-
suits Of his work will long remain most
MOlNul HNuuultul " MS ne
found our public school system at low
point, lacking organization, supervision,
and efficiency. lie lefl it, not certainly all
it should be, but at vast advance upon its
former condition. With the aid and coun.
sci of the State Board, which comprised
such men as President Pease, Il. z. Red
field, j. ID. Bradley and other eminent citi-
nf NnrntnOf IN uohnp1 81
State was reorganized. The school laws
were remodeled. The basis of distribution
of the public money was changed. Town
superintendent were made responsible to
the State. Teachers institutes were estab-
lished the existing system of school reg
listers as a means of procuring statistical
information inaugurated; uniformity and
improvement in text books largely secur.
cd graded schools put in operation the
occupation of the teachers aud their eff
cheney as class greatly elevated great i'm
provement in school buildings secured !;
order brought out of chaos, and new life
put into the whole school system. In this
work Mr.. Adams held the labOring oar,
and gave his time and strength TO it with an
industry and devotion for which the small
salary attached 10 the Office was a most in-
adequate compensation. lie used often in
the latter years of his secretaryship, TO re-
late his experiences in inaugurating some
of the first teachers institutes, for which,
in some of the back towns, he had to ring
the bells, build the fires aud sweep out the
school rooms with his own hands, often
opening an institute with but half a dozen
persons in attendance, but never closing
one without full house, aud a great arous-
ing of interest in the schools. During the
eleven years that he filled the secretary
ship, lac held institutes and educational
meetings in almost all the considerable
towns ofthe Stale, and when he resigned he
probably had the widest personal acquaint-
ance in the State possessed by any YER
monter.
In the fall of 1867, partly from falling
health, partly from a difference with the
Board of Education in regard to the adop-
ton of a new list of textbooks, Mr.. Ad-
ans resigned his offices as Secretary of the
Board Of Education and county clerk, and
removed TO Jacksonville, Florida, where
he resided ihencefurth. Soon alter his re-
moval thither he was appointed Commits
sioner Of immigration for the State of Flor
ida, the duties of The Office being to dis
seminate information in regard TO the State,
and TO direct imlnigr ants thithcr lie was
subsequently appointed Collector of Gus
toms for the port OF ST. Johns, and held
that office some three years. lie establish
ed a weekly newspaper in jacksonville,
under the title of The New South, which
he edited and published until his death.
lie was appointed postmaster at Jackson
vile, two or three years ago, and held the
Office at his death. In July of last year
symptoms of active pulmonary disease be-
gan to show themselves in one of his lungs
which was weakened by a severe attack of
pneumonia in 1870. IN last October he was
Frustrated with typhoid fever. From this
he recovered and during January and part
OF February last was able 20 90 to his Office
But consumption had marked him for its
victim. During the two months past he
failed steadily; and on Sunday, 23d ult.,
at =. M, he passed away, at the age of 90
years.
Mr.. Adams was twice married. His
daughter (by his first marrage), lovely
add promising girl, died at Bralleboro, at
school, year ago last December. A son,
also by his first marriage, his wife, and his
sister, Miss Helen NJ. Adams, who gave to
him aud his a devotion words which words
cannot describe, survive him.