Evening star., 1939-10-28
John Taylor Adams,
Ex-Chairman ofG.0.P
Committee, Dies
Was II Years Member
Of National Group
From Iowa
BY the Associated Press.

DS lllc ASSOCldltu fIeSS.
DUBUQUE. Iowa, Oct. 28-John
Taylor Adams, II, chairman of the
Republican National Committee
from 1921 to 1924, died here this
morning.
Mr.. Adams was for II years Iowa
member of the Republican National
Committee and was rated as one of
the leading political strategists of his
day.
Never seeking or holding an elec-
tive Office, he used his flair for or
ganization to make his impress upon
party history, mapping and manag-
ing campaigns, steering candidates
and the party away from recoil is
sues and in general applying to
politics the methods which enabled
him to rise in business from Office
boy to the presidency of big manu-
featuring concern.
He inherited his liking for politics.
He was direct descendant of the
John Adams who came to America
early in the 18th century and whose
descendants included John and John
Quincy Adams. the second and sixth
Presidents of the United States The
Iowans father, Shubabel P. Adams,
was born in Massachusetts, prac-
ticed law for 20 years at Lowell and
represented that district in the Mas
sachusetts Legislature before NOV
ing to Dubuque, Iowa, in 1857. His
mothers family dated back eight
generations to John Livermore, first
settler Of New Haven, Conn.
First Entered Business.
John Taylor Adams was born in
Dubuque December %, 1862. He
went through the public schools and,
upon being graduated from high
school in 1881. entered business.
His first job was as Office boy at So
a week with a sash and door factorv.
Eventually he became president of
the concern and guided it to top
ranking in its field
Mr.. Adams took a minor part in
Dubuque County politics until 1908.
Then his fellow-townsman, United
States Senator William B. Allison,
who had started a notable career by
defeating Mr.. Adams father for
Congress in 1862, drafted him to
manage what proved to be the lat
ter's last campaign. The opponent
for the nomination was Albert Cum
Minis, then Governor of Iowa and
later AlliSons successor in the
Senate.
A desire to dress up the cam
paign by removing the semblance
OF professional politics" and give
it businesslike tone, motivated Mr..
Alllsons selection of Mr. Adams as
manager. The businessman's un-
suspected talent as political strate-
gist made the effort a huge success
and brought him to the attention of
the national leaders of the party.
Attacked by Bull Moosers."
In 1912 President Taft asked Mr..
Adams to direct his primary cam
palgn in Iowa. The Dubuque man
won the States delegation to the
Republican National Convention for
Taft against both Theodore Roose-
velt and Cummins, who sought sup
port as a "favorite SON." That was
the year of the Bull Moose" split
IN the party and out of it Mr.. Adams
emerged as Iowa member of the
National Committee.
Six years later, after the breach
ostensibly had been healed. there
was an echo of it in Adams case.
He had strong backing for the
chalrmanshlp OF the committee, but
IT. R." joined in a fight against
him and it was not until 1921 that
he attained this place. Meanwhile.
in the 1920 campaign, he had been
IN charge of Western Republican
headquarters at Chicago.
When finally chosen to head the
committee, on June 7, 1921, Mr..
Adams was elected, despite the fact
that President Harding was known
to favor an Ohio man for the post
This circumstance, plus a stand
which Adams took against Harding's
proposal to have the United States
adhere to the World Court, led to
many reports of a quarrel between
the chairman and the titular head
OF the party, but Mr.. Adams friends
always said their relations were
friendly.
Much more cordiality developed
between Mr. Adams and President
Coolidge The former was almost
as reticent as Silent Cal" and
there seemed to be a close bond of
understanding between them. Mr.
and Mrs. Adams, their son and two
daughters frequently were guests at
the White House in the Coolidge
regime.
Mrs. Adams, before her marriage
on May 10, 1902, was Miss Winifred
Rose Of Dubuque.