John H. Adams (environmentalist)
John Hamilton Adams (born 1936) is an environmental activist, lawyer, and founder of the Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC). He co-founded the NRDC in 1970 and served as the executive director until 1998 when he became the President. As of 2006, Adams is the Founding Director of the organization. With the help of his team at the NRDC, Adams has worked on numerous environmental movements including passing the Clean Water Act, phasing of lead from gasoline, and curbing the emissions of coal-burning power plants. He has authored three books and written many research papers . In 2010, Adams received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his achievements in environmental activism. Early life. John H. Adams was born February 15, 1936, in New York, New York to John and Barbara Adams. He lived on a farm in upstate New York for some of his childhood. John married Patricia Brandon Smith (now Patricia Brandon Adams) on September 30, 1963. She is a teacher, writer, and environmentalist. They have three children: Katherine L., John H., and Ramsay W, and six grandchildren. Education. Adams graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History in 1959. He  then attended Duke University Law School in 1962 to pursue his law degree and received his L.L.B.. In 2005, Adams received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Duke University. Career. Adams worked as the Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York for five years before joining with a young group of lawyers from Yale to pursue funding from the Ford Foundation to start up the NRDC in 1970. This organization was the first of its kind: a national environmental advocacy group creating change through the legal system. Adams was inspired by similar organizations in different fields, namely  the ACLU and the NAACP, to conduct activism at a legal level. Adams was NRDC's first executive director and held the position till 1998. During this time, he also was an adjunct faculty member at New York University's Law School for 26 years, founding the NYU/NRDC Environmental Law Clinic. He then held the position of President till 2006. While under Adam's leadership, the NRDC had many notable accomplishments: In 2006, John Adams stepped down from the role as president and will indefinitely stay as the founding director of the NRDC, playing an active role in the  organization at the local, national, and international levels. As of 2020, he serves on the board of the Open Space Institute, Woods Hole Research Center, and the League of Conservation Voters, among others. Research. John H. Adams has published many research reports. In 1992, he published “The Mainstream Environmental Movement” in the "EPA Journal"; the piece recounts the environmental racism working in urban planning. He discusses how toxic waste facilities are placed more frequently in minority, specifically Black or Latino, spaces. In 1998, Adams published “Salt in the Wounds” in the "Amicus Journal" in which he exposes the Mitsubishi Corp  for the industrial saltwork operation which led to the environmental degradation of the Laguna Ojo de Liebre in Baja California, Mexico. He explains how saltwork has caused devastating harm to the ecosystem, including killing many endangered black sea turtles. Works. Adams published his first book in 1985. As of 2020, Adams has published a total of three books. An Environmental Agenda for the Future (1985). This piece is the culmination of 4 years of research by the chief executives of ten major environmental and conservation organizations. These organizations, and others, joined together to improve their effectiveness of protection of the  nation's environment. The book is organized with 11 major subject areas: (1) nuclear issues; (2) human population growth; (3) energy strategies; (4) water resources; (5) toxics and pollution control; (6) wild living resources; (7) private lands and agriculture; (8) protected land systems; (9) public lands; (10) urban environments; and (11) international responsibilities. A Force for Nature: The Story of NRDC and Its Fight to Save our Planet (2010). John and Patricia Adams coauthor this piece on the United States' first litigation-focused environmental organization. The book tells the story of the NRDC's birth as a grassroots environmental advocacy  group to an international powerhouse agency with over a million members and staff. A Force for the Future: Inside NRDC’s Fight to Save the Planet and Its People (2020). Adams recounts the NRDC's 50-year history of triumphing over the world's most powerful polluters. He uses this to speak to the future, offering solutions to tackling problems which entangle science and society. Awards. Presidential Medal of Freedom. John H. Adam's most notable award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was awarded to him by President Obama in 2010 for his extreme dedication and efforts advocating for the  preservation of the environment. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest honor a civilian can receive. Upon receiving the award, Adams says: House of Representatives Tribute. In 2005, John Adams was given the honor of having a tribute from the house of representatives in which his most notable efforts and achievements are highlighted. Honorable Maurice D. Hinchey of New York presented Adams’ honors in the house of representatives. Endowed Professorship at Duke University Law School. Adam's alma mater, Duke University Law School, endowed a professorship in his honor in 2017. This professorship's funding has commitments of over  a million US dollars from individuals and the Duke Endowment. Other. Some of Adam's less notable awards include: One World One Child Lifetime Achievement Award (2005), NRDC's Forces For Nature Award (2005), the Wilderness Society's Robert Marshall Award (2005), the Natural Resources Council of America's Award of Honor (2001), the Green Cross Millennium Award for Individual Environmental Leadership (2000), the Judge Lumbard Cup for public service from the United States, the National Conservation Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation (1999), the Francis K. Hutchinson Conservation Award from the Garden Club of America (1990), Duke University 's Distinguished Alumni Award, and in 1992, Duke University Law School's Charles J. Murphy Award.