Three interdisciplinary professorships, one for each department
in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, were
recently established through generous donations from Harold L.
Adams of Baltimore, Md., chairman emeritus of RTKL Associates
and a member of Texas A&M’s Class of 1961.
Adams' recent $300,000 pledge creates two additional professorships,
almost tripling his initial commitment, which last December created
the first-of-its-kind Harold L. Adams ’61 Interdisciplinary
Professorship in the Department of Architecture.
With his recent contribution, Adams has now committed more than
$500,000 to Texas A&M’s One Spirit One Vision fund-raising
campaign, for which he chairs the college’s fund-raising
committee.
The two new interdisciplinary professorships were created in
the college’s departments of Construction Science and Landscape
Architecture and Urban Planning. Like Adam’s original professorship,
the objective of these new faculty posts reflects the donor’s
professional experience and vision for the future of the built
environment professions, which he sees as evolving beyond traditional
academic boundaries. They will support faculty whose work transcends
such barriers, encouraging collaborative research and teaching
between the disciplines housed within the College of Architecture.
“As I look at great successes on building projects,” Adams
said, “they are where everyone works as a team from the
very beginning. It is for that reason that I have become even
more dedicated to bringing that spirit of cooperation to the
studio, the classroom and the projects that the students create
together.”
Adams retired as CEO and chairman of RTKL Associates in 2003
after 36 years with the firm. Under his leadership, RTKL grew
from a single office of 45 people to an international practice
including 1,000 professionals in 13 offices worldwide. Today
RTKL is regarded as one of the world’s largest architecture,
engineering and planning firms.
Adams was named a College of Architecture Outstanding Alumnus
in 1998. He is also an active member of the college’s Dean’s
Advisory Council and currently chairs the college’s One
Spirit One Vision fundraising committee. His previous gifts to
the college include an endowed scholarship, support of the Alan
Stacell Student Creativity Fund for extracurricular student activities,
and sponsorship of a college planning retreat.
“Harold’s generosity and leadership have given the
college a tremendous boost towards being the leading school of
its kind in the world,” said J. Thomas Regan, dean of the
college. “These gifts are catalysts for change. They advance
our college’s mission to influence the built and virtual
environment professions by demonstrating collaboration among
these professions. They also allow us to take advantage of the
fact that we have key related disciplines in one college.”
The College of Architecture currently offers 12 degree programs
in architecture, construction science, landscape architecture,
urban planning, land development and visualization science.
In addition to his service to Texas A&M, Adams is a former
chancellor of the College of Fellows of the American Institute
of Architects (AIA) and was the 1997 recipient of AIA’s
prestigious Kemper Award for Service. He is active as a trustee
and board member for a number of Baltimore and Washington arts,
education and civic organizations. He also serves on the board
of directors of three public corporations: Legg Mason of Baltimore,
Md., Lincoln Electric, based in Cleveland, Ohio, and Commercial
Metals Company, headquartered in Irving, Texas.
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Harold L. Adams '61
Harold Adams and Taeg Nishimoto
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