William R. Adam Papers (MS279)

Access and use

Location of collection:
Alexandria Library
Alexandria Library
Local History/Special Collections
717 Queen Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Patricia Walker, Branch Manager
Phone: (703) 746-1719
Phone: (703) 838-4577
Fax: (703) 706-3912
Preferred citation:

[item identification], William R. Adam Papers, MS279, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
.235 Cubic Feet 2 box
Creator:
Adam, William R. (William Robert), 1918-1992
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[item identification], William R. Adam Papers, MS279, Alexandria Library, Local History and Special Collections, Alexandria, Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Much of the collection consists of personal and professional correspondences of William Robert Adam. There are also a number of programs from events that Adam coordinated or was invited to attend in Alexandria and Washington, DC. The collection also includes awards and certificates, newspaper clippings, bibliographical information, publications, and research papers. There is also a folder on the composer Richard Bales, who conducted orchestral performances at some of Adam's events. The collection includes a number of realia such as medals and medallions.

Biographical / historical:

William Robert Adam was born in Alexandria, Virginia on February 20, 1918. Prior to World War II, he worked as an Assistant Librarian for the Alexandria Library where he developed the Alexandriana collection of books and documents related to local history. During this period, he also contributed feature articles on performing arts and local history for the Alexandria Gazette. As the United States entered World War II in 1941, Adam was enlisted in the Army where he contributed to several post and unit newspapers. In 1943, he was assigned to the Bureau of Public Relations with the U.S. Army War Department at the Pentagon where he edited photography and prepared texts for media coverage. In 1949, his media career took him to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he continued to work on audio-visual news projects during the final phases of World War II, the Korean Conflict, aerospace research and development programs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and U.S. combat operations in Southeast Asia. Upon completing his military service, Adam would return to work for the City of Alexandria as a Restoration Curator at the Gadsby's Tavern Museum in 1972. During his tenure at Gadsby's, he solicited valuable furnishing and artifacts to bring to the museum, served as a docent, and arranged special events at the museum.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged mostly topically, with correspondences arranged by decades.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard