Sir Walter Adams (1906 - 1975)
Sir Walter Adams is described as a British historian and educationalist with a vast resumé:
- 1926-1934: Lecturer in History at University College London.
- 1929-1930 Rockefeller Fellow in the United States.
- 1931 Organizing secretary of the 2nd International Congress of the History of Science & Technology.
- 1933-1938: Secretary of the Academic Assistance Council.
- 1938-1946: Secretary of the London School of Economics.
- 1942-1944: Deputy Head of the British Political Warfare Mission in the United States.
- 1945: Assistant Deputy Director-General of the Political Intelligence Department of the Foreign Office.
- 1946-1955: Secretary of the Inter-University Council for Higher Education in the Colonies.
- 1955-1967: Principal of the College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
- 1967-1974: Director of the London School of Economics.
Calling that impressive is being moderate but, there is more. Adams was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1945. He was named Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St George (CMG) in 1952. Finally, he was knighted in 1970 for his “services in education”. Students opposed him because of his links with Ian Smith’s racist regime in Rhodesia where he was director of the University College. Adams’ arrival and connections were the catalysts for an extended period of turbulence at the LSE.
1967 saw a concerted student campaign against the Director-designate culminating in the occupation of the Old Theatre. The installation of gates designed to prevent students from occupying the campus caused more unrest in 1969. The riots led to the School’s closure for 25 days and the arrest of some students. Walter Adams died of a heart attack during a visit to Salisbury, Zimbabwe (now Harare) one year after retiring in 1975. Sacha Stone and his sister, Toin Adams, were born out of wedlock.