Michael F. Adams | |
|---|---|
 Adams at the Peabody Awards in 2013 | |
| 21st President of the University of Georgia | |
| In office September 1, 1997 – June 30, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Boynton Knapp |
| Succeeded by | Jere Morehead |
| 19th President of Centre College | |
| In office December 1988 – June 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Richard L. Morrill |
| Succeeded by | John A. Roush |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 25, 1948 Montgomery, Alabama, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Mary Lynn Ethridge (m. 1969) |
| Alma mater | David Lipscomb College (BA) Ohio State University (MA, PhD) |
Michael Fred Adams (born March 25, 1948) is an American former political staffer, educator, and academic administrator. He began his career as a staffer for Senate minority leader Howard Baker, including as Baker's chief of staff. After an unsuccessful run for the House of Representatives in 1980, he worked as a senior advisor to Governor of Tennessee Lamar Alexander. His first foray into academia was as a professor and the vice president for university affairs at Pepperdine University, where he remained until 1988. That year, he took the presidency of Centre College in Danville, Kentucky, which he held until 1997. At Centre, he added several degree programs, completed a $60 million fundraiser, renovated and improved many buildings on campus, and tripled the school's endowment. He applied for the presidency of the University of Georgia (UGA) on the last day to apply and was ultimately selected for the job. He was announced as UGA's 21st president in June 1997 and took office that September.
Adams' presidency at UGA was not without controversy. Shortly into his term, he reduced the number of senior vice presidents from seven to three and his expenses prompted an audit from the accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. His disagreement with, and subsequent refusal to extend the contract of, longtime athletic director Vince Dooley was unpopular among many, and a poll among faculty from one of the university's colleges showed that a majority of the college's faculty lacked confidence in his administration. His presidency resulted in significant growth for the university, however; enrollment grew to 35,000 students and the endowment nearly tripled. Five new colleges were created, and UGA athletics experienced success in winning nineteen national championships and seeing their revenue nearly quadruple. He resigned as UGA president in May 2012 and left office in July 2013. He was later named chancellor at Pepperdine, a position he held from August 2015 to July 2018.