George Rollie Adams (born September 11, 1941), is an American educator, historian, author, and museum professional. As president and CEO of
The Strong National Museum of Play in
Rochester, New York
Rochester () is a City (New York), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, the county seat, seat of Monroe County, New York, Monroe County, and the fourth-most populous in the state after New York City, Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, ...
, from 1987 through 2016, Adams led the development of the world’s first collections-based history museum devoted solely to the study of play and its critical role in learning and human development and the ways in which play illuminates cultural history. During his tenure, The Strong became home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of toys, dolls, board games, electronic games, and other artifacts and documents pertaining to the history of play. The Strong also acquired the
National Toy Hall of Fame and established the
International Center for the History of Electronic Games
The International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG) collects, studies, and interprets video games, other electronic games, and related materials and the ways in which electronic games are changing how people play, learn, and conn ...
,
World Video Game Hall of Fame, Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, Woodbury School, and
American Journal of Play
The ''American Journal of Play'' is a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary academic journal that covers the history, science, and culture of play. The journal includes articles, interviews, and book reviews written for a broad readership of educators, ...
.
Early life
George Rollie Adams grew up in southern Arkansas. After receiving a B.A. in Social Science Education and English from Louisiana Tech University, he taught history for four years at
El Dorado, Arkansas
El Dorado, founded by Matthew Rainey, is a city in, and the county seat of, Union County, on the southern border of Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 18,884.
El Dorado is headquarters of the Ark ...
, High School. While teaching, he earned a M.A. in Social Science Education from
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activ ...
, and subsequently he earned a Ph.D. in American History from the
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first university in the Arizona Territory.
T ...
.
Professional career
During the mid-to-late 1970s and early 1980s, Adams held several positions at the American Association for State and Local History, including director of the National Historic Landmarks Project and director of Education. He then served two years as executive director of the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society in New York State and two years jointly as director of the
Louisiana State Museum
The Louisiana State Museum (LSM), founded in New Orleans in 1906, is a statewide system of National Historic Landmarks and modern structures across Louisiana, housing thousands of artifacts and works of art reflecting Louisiana's legacy of historic ...
in
and assistant secretary for Culture, Recreation, and Tourism for the State of Louisiana.
At
The Strong, Adams introduced a boundary-less organizational structure, led two major physical expansions, and earned recognition for innovation in entrepreneurial museum management. He is currently president and CEO emeritus of The Strong.
Adams has served on the boards of the
American Alliance of Museums, National History Day, Mid-South Humanities Project, Museum Association of New York, New York State Historical Records Advisory Board, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Visit Rochester, Family Services of Rochester, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Greater Rochester Commission. He has also served on the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council Working Group on the Arts and Tourism.
He is recipient of the CEO of the Year Award from the Rochester Chapter of the
Public Relations Society of America
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is a nonprofit trade association for public relations professionals. It was founded in 1947 by combining the American Council on Public Relations and the National Association of Public Relations Coun ...
, Tourism Civic Award from Visit Rochester, Anne Ackerson Innovation in Leadership Award from the Museum Association of New York, and ''Rochester Business Journal'' ICON Award for Success and Leadership.
Published works
Adams’s latest books are ''Found in Pieces'' and ''South of Little Rock'', historical novels set during the civil rights movement. Between them, they have received ten awards for independently published historical and social issues fiction. His previous published works include ''Ordinary People and Everyday Life'', co-edited with James B. Gardner (American Association for State and Local History, 1980); Nashville'': A Pictorial History'', co-authored with Ralph Jerry Christian (The Donning Company, 1981, 1988); and ''General William S. Harney: Prince of Dragoons'' (University of Nebraska Press, 2001). He contributed forewords to David Carr, ''The Promise of Cultural Institutions'' (New York: AltaMira Press, 2003) and Scott G. Eberle, ''Classic Toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame'' (Running Press, 2009).
[
]
External links
The Why, How, and What of a Museum of Play: An Interview with George Rollie Adams ''American Journal of Play'', 5:2, 135-156
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, George Rollie
American chief executives
Louisiana Tech University alumni
University of Arizona alumni
Living people
21st-century American historians
21st-century American male writers
American male non-fiction writers
1941 births