Paul Lincoln Adams (April 9, 1908 – November 23, 1990) was an American lawyer, politician, and judge from Michigan.Biography
from the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society. He served as a mayor of

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...

, as a member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents, as Michigan Attorney General, and as a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Early life and education

Adams was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, on April 9, 1908. His family had been farmers in the area since 1897, but by the early 1900s had shifted to insurance and real estate. Adams graduated Sault High School in 1926. He received his B.A. in 1930 and M.A. in 1931 from the University of Michigan.Finding aid for Paul L. Adams Papers, 1924-1976
Michigan Historical Collections, Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Adams returned to his family business for three years, then entered the University of Michigan Law School. He earned his LL.B. in 1936 and was admitted to the bar the same year. While in law school, he became friends with

G. Mennen Williams Gerhard Mennen "Soapy" Williams (February 23, 1911 – February 2, 1988) was an American politician who served as the List of governors of Michigan, 41st governor of Michigan, elected in 1948 and serving six two-year terms in office. He lat ...

and others who became prominent in Michigan politics. Also while in law school, Adams married Ruth Karpinski, daughter of the University of Michigan mathematician

Louis Charles Karpinski Louis Charles Karpinski (5 August 1878 – 25 January 1956) was an American mathematician. Background Louis Charles Karpinski was born on August 5, 1878, in Rochester, New York. His parents were Henry Hermanagle Karpinski of Warsaw, Poland, and ...

Career

Adams returned to Sault Ste. Marie, where he practiced law and served in various civic roles. He was mayor from 1938 to 1942. From 1941 to 1943, during World War II, he served as director of

civil defense Civil defense ( en, region=gb, civil defence) or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from man-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency operations: prevention, miti ...

in Sault Ste. Marie. From 1943 to 1944, Adams served with the

Board of Economic Warfare The Office of Administrator of Export Control (also referred to as the Export Control Administration) was established in the United States by Presidential Proclamation 2413, July 2, 1940, to administer export licensing provisions of the act of July ...

in Washington, D.C.; he then returned to Sault Ste. Marie. In 1949, Adams served as a member of the Michigan Social Welfare Commission. In 1950, he served as chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Charter Commission. In 1956, Adams was elected a member of the University of Michigan Board of Regents. He served until the following year, when Governor G. Mennen Williams appointed to fill an unexpired term as Michigan Attorney General. Adams was elected twice as attorney general in his own right (in 1958 and 1960). He left the position after Governor

John Swainson John Burley Swainson (July 31, 1925 – May 13, 1994) was a Canadian-American politician and jurist who served as the 42nd governor of Michigan from 1961 to 1963. Early life and education Swainson was born in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. He mo ...

appointed Adams in December 1961 to serve on the Michigan Supreme Court. Adams left the court later that year but returned in 1964 and served on the court until his retirement in 1973. Thereafter, he spent his time in Clinton County, Michigan, where he had orchards. Adams died on November 23, 1990. He was survived by his wife Ruth and four daughters. Adams' papers are archived at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Paul L. 1908 births 1990 deaths Mayors of places in Michigan Michigan attorneys general Justices of the Michigan Supreme Court People from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Regents of the University of Michigan University of Michigan Law School alumni 20th-century American judges 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Michigan politicians 20th-century American academics