Robert Edward Adamson (March 31, 1871 – September 19, 1935) was an American

journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalis ...

and public official. As Fire Commissioner of the City of New York, he proposed a modern fire alarm system for the city.

Biography

Adamson was born on March 31, 1871, in

Clayton County, Georgia Clayton County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of 2021, the population was estimated to be 297,100 by the Census Bureau. The county seat is Jonesboro. Clayton County is included in the Atlanta metr ...

, to Augustus Pitt Adamson and Martilla Ellen Cook. He began writing articles for the Macon, Georgia, newspaper while still in his teens. At age 20, he became city editor of the ''

Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the only major daily newspaper in the metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' is the result of the merger between ...

''. He later moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and worked as a reporter for ''

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New Yor ...

'', the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under pub ...

'', and the '' Brooklyn Eagle''. He married Ethel McClintock May on December 10, 1902, at

Trinity Chapel Trinity Chapel at the east end of Canterbury Cathedral forms part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was built under the supervision of the master-masons William of Sens and William the Englishman as a shrine for the relics of St. Thomas Becke ...

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

. In 1910, Adamson became secretary to New York Mayor

William Jay Gaynor William Jay Gaynor (February 2, 1849 – September 10, 1913) was an American politician from New York City, associated with the Tammany Hall political machine. He served as the 94th mayor of the City of New York from 1910 to 1913, and previously ...

, and gained fame by helping thwart an assassination attempt on Gaynor. When Gaynor died in September 1910, Adamson continued as secretary to the new mayor,

Ardolph Loges Kline Ardolph Loges Kline (February 21, 1858 – October 13, 1930), was a senior officer of the New York National Guard of the United States, National Guard and a U.S. Republican Party, Republican politician who became acting Mayor of New York City on S ...

. In 1914, he was campaign manager for

John Purroy Mitchel John Purroy Mitchel (July 19, 1879 – July 6, 1918) was the 95th mayor of New York, from 1914 to 1917. At 34, he was the second-youngest mayor and he is sometimes referred to as "The Boy Mayor of New York." Mitchel is remembered for his sho ...

. In 1914 Mitchel appointed Adamson as the 9th Fire Commissioner of the City of New York. Adamson served in that position until the end of the Mitchel Administration on December 31, 1917. During his tenure he worked to have the entire department motorized. He also proposed a modern fire alarm system for the city. Adamson unsuccessfully ran for the New York Board of

Aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members the ...

in 1917. He then left politics to work in banking and public relations. He died of a heart attack in Manhattan, New York City, on September 19, 1935.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Robert 1871 births 1935 deaths Commissioners of the New York City Fire Department Editors of Georgia (U.S. state) newspapers