Adams_Paul The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III
Overview of the Item Larry Crowe Scott Stearns Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III March 11, 2003 6 Betacam SP videocassettes, 1 half-Hollinger box containing (NUMBER) folders of accompanying materials. (ABSTRACT) A2003.039 The interviews and records are in English Biographical Note

Born September 14, 1940, Paul Joseph Adams III learned the value of education from his parents, Patsy Lois and Paul Adams, Jr., who enrolled him in private elementary and high schools in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama. After receiving a B.A. from Alabama State University, Adams moved north to Chicago, where he worked in mental health education while earning his M.A. in psychology from Northeastern Illinois University.

In 1971, Adams was hired as director of guidance for Providence-St. Mel School, a private Catholic high school in Chicago. He became the school's principal a year later. When the Archdiocese of Chicago withdrew funding for the school in 1978, Adams spearheaded a national campaign to raise money for the school. In response to his publicity-seeking efforts and the support of the Providence-St. Mel students and community, the school received local and national media attention. Donations poured in from across the country, and Adams transitioned Providence-St. Mel into a not-for-profit independent school.

At Providence-St. Mel, Adams focused on developing a strong academic standard while enforcing strict disciplinary codes. To guarantee the safety of his students, he moved into the vacant convent inside the school to ward off thieves and vandals. His dedication became legendary and during the next two decades, Adams successfully transformed Providence-St. Mel into a premier learning institution for African American students.

Since 1996, Adams has served as president of Providence-St. Mel School, managing an annual budget in excess of $6 million. He is still very active in planning the curriculum for the school, which has expanded to include elementary and middle grades. Under Adams' leadership, every one of Providence-St. Mel's graduating seniors has been accepted to institutions of higher learning.

Adams has received numerous awards for his efforts, including the McDonald's Education Achievement Award, the African-American Male Image Award, the Rozell R. Nesbitt Community Education Award, and four honorary doctorates. Adams was named an American Hero in Education by Reader's Digest and was voted Man of the Year by the Chicago Urban League.

Biographical Note by The HistoryMakers®

 Scope and Contents

This life oral history interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III was conducted by Larry Crowe on 2003-03-11 in Residence of Paul Adams, Chicago, Illinois and is recorded on 6 30-minute Betacam SP videocassettes. Access copies exist on Betacam SP, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1. The interview contains information on (COMPLETE ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION OF INTERVIEW). Accompanying materials in the collection include Paul Joseph Adams, III's correspondence with The HistoryMakers® related to the interview; a copy of the signed release form and the production report; the biographical information used by the interviewer to prepare for the interview (DETAILS); paper copies of the interview transcripts, 3 1/2" floppy disks with electronic copies of the transcripts; selected quotes for video clips; photocopies of photographs captured on video; XML files with metadata created in editing and cataloguing the interview for The HistoryMakers Digital Video Library; and paper copies of these XML files.

Accompanying Material

Accompanying materials: Accompanying materials are filed in (NUMBER) folders in a half-Hollinger box and shelved at The HistoryMakers® Archives and Collection Library by accession number, separately from the videos.

Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access terms.

Contributors: Adams, Paul Joseph III, 1940- Crowe, Larry Stearns, Scott Persons: (PERSONS) Corporate Bodies: (CORPORATE BODIES) Family Names: Adams Places: (PLACES) Subjects: (SUBJECTS) Document Types: Video oral history interview Titles: The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III Restrictions on Access

Access to paper records is restricted. Other restrictions may be applied on a case-by-case basis.

 Restrictions on Use

All use of materials must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers® and appropriate credit must be given. All use credits must be pre-approved by The HistoryMakers®. Copyright is held by The HistoryMakers®.

 Location of Originals

Betacam, VHS, DVD and MPEG-1 access copies are held for in-house use at The HistoryMakers®; Betacam SP, VHS and DVD playback hardware is provided for in-house viewing of the access copies; MPEG-1 copies are searchable and viewable via a digital video database.

Preferred Citation

The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, March 11, 2003. The HistoryMakers® African American Video Oral History Collection, 1900 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois.

 Detailed Description/Tape Listings Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, Tape 1, March 11, 2003, TRT: 00:28:10. Educator Paul Adams discusses his attempts at finding out more about his family background. He discusses memories of his mother and his father. Adams remembers his segregated childhood neighborhood in Montgomery, Alabama as being full of role models and mentors. Adams describes himself as a child and reflects on his commitment to the Civil Rights Movement as a teenager. Finally, Adams discusses why he does not attend church. Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, Tape 2, March 11, 2003, TRT: 00:28:23. Educator Paul Adams discusses his experience of the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. Additionally, Adams remembers his first impressions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Futhermore, Adams discusses his and the overall youth commitment to the Civil Rights Movement. He also tells of being kicked out of Alabama State University for participating in a demonstration. Finally, Adams discusses how the death of Emmitt Till and the use of television were critical in the marked beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement. Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, Tape 3, March 11, 2003, TRT: 00:29:30. Educator Paul Adams details his relocation to Chicago in 1962. Adams remembers his last interaction with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and discusses the moment he found out about his assassination. Adams also details his participation in the 1965 March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Finally, Adams provides a brief history of Providence-St. Mel School in Chicago, Illinois and his eventual appointment as principal. Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, Tape 4, March 11, 2003, TRT: 00:28:40. Educator Paul Adams discusses how he transformed Providence-St. Mel into an independent school in 1978. Adams also attributes the academic success of Providence-St. Mel to their teachers' commitment to the students, to its structured environment, to students' early exposure to travel, and its accelerated educational paradigm. Finally, Adams discusses how his being Protestant does not conflict with his mission to educate students at a Catholic school. Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, Tape 5, March 11, 2003, TRT: 00:28:32. Educator Paul Adams discusses his personal philosophy of education, which includes the teaching of values and classes on Dr. Martin Luther King's holiday. Adams discusses Providence-St. Mel's use of teachers and students as role models for success. He also discusses how politicians should be held accountable for their schools' academic performance. Additionally, he explains that the educational system has failed to educate youth by focusing on incarceration instead of dealing with behavioral and illiteracy problems. Finally, Adams explains that it is hard work for a school to work as well as Providence-St. Mel but emphasizes that any school can do it. Video Oral History Interview with Paul Joseph Adams, III, Tape 6, March 11, 2003, TRT: 00:30:03. Educator Paul Adams discusses the athletic performance, the racial makeup, the accelerated curriculum and the disciplinary rules of Providence-St. Mel. Adams explains the need for increased fundraising for Providence-St. Mel for the sakes of teachers' compensation and student tuition assistance. He also discusses his legacy and how he wants to be remembred. Finally, Adams shares a multitude of photographs.