Member of Lebanon Lodge #3 F&A Masons (PHA) in Lincoln.
Ten years ago, Lt. Col. Paul Adams and his wife, Alda, introduced Dr. Karla Cooper to Lincoln, and Cooper knew then she had found one of the city's hidden treasures.
That treasure: Paul Adams himself — a man who broke racial barriers as one of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, and went on to become one of the first African-American teachers at Lincoln Public Schools and a quiet force of change in Lincoln.
Adams died Sunday at age 92.
“His heart was just so big, it couldn't take it anymore,†said Cooper, pastor of Quinn Chapel, the AME church where the Adamses have been active for many years.
Paul Adams and his fellow Tuskegee Airmen were the first African-American aviators in the U.S. military, whose distinguished record many historians credit with helping pave the way for the civil rights movement.
Adams went on to become one of the first black teachers in LPS, and in 2008, his accomplishments were honored when the district named a new school after him.
He became a frequent visitor at Adams Elementary, where books about Tuskegee Airmen fill the library and teachers make a point to read them to students.
The history became an integral part of the school, said former Principal Cindy Schwaninger, and Adams became a role model for the students, who loved him.
“He was a real American hero,†Schwaninger said. “Humble, with a real passion for his work. He persevered through some very tough times, he valued education. He was upbeat even through those tough times and he modeled that for the children.â€
Adams enrolled in the Army after he graduated from South Carolina State University, and flew with the 332nd Fighter Group, an African-American unit also known as the "Red Tail" group for its distinctive aircraft paint scheme.
The group set an unprecedented record, flying more than 1,500 missions in Europe and North Africa. Adam served in nine major campaigns and received the Commendation Medal with three Oak Leaf clusters, each of which signifies subsequent bestowals of the same honor.
In 2007, he received the Congressional Bronze Medal for his contribution as a "guardian angel" — a name of respect given by white airmen who were escorted by the African-American pilots during the war. Doane College recognized him with the President's Honor of Distinction Award the same year.
And two years later, Adams, at President Barack Obama's invitation, attended the inauguration of the first black president along with other Tuskegee Airmen.
His son, Michael Adams, said his father was modest about his accomplishments, and it wasn't until he was older that he learned of his dad's heroism.
“He was a hero, as a matter of fact," he said. "He was a pioneer in many, many ways. “
A native of Greenville, S.C., the military transferred Adams to Lincoln in 1962. He retired a year later and began teaching industrial arts at Lincoln High School in 1964. He also taught what likely was the first Black History class in the district, his son said. He retired in 1982.
He played a quiet but important role in the civil rights movement in Lincoln, Cooper said.
“He was more of a quiet storm,†she said.
Adams was past president of the Lincoln chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and remained active after his retirement in a number of community organizations. Through Kiwanis, he organized a Builders Club at East High School and was a "grandpa" at Elliott Elementary.
He also was active in his church, serving many roles there including welcoming the new pastor a decade ago with a dinner at Golden Corral.
"I'll never forget it," Cooper said. "He rolled out the red carpet. I could feel his energy and his spirit and the love he and Alda had for each other.â€
The high school sweethearts were married for 67 years and raised three children together: Gloria Middlebrooks, Doris Gearrings and Michael. They have four grandchildren, a great grandchild and many nieces and nephews.
Michael Adams said his father them all many things: right from wrong, how to be a good person, how to treat others, how to be the best at whatever they chose to do.
"He taught by example, by the way he lived,†he said. “I kind of thought of him as superman because anything he said he could do, he did it.â€
A Celebration of Life will be Saturday at 4 p.m. at Lincoln Memorial Funeral Home, with visitation Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
Source: http://journalstar.com
