William Adams may refer to:

Military

William Adams (naval officer, died 1748) William Adams (died 28 September 1748) was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served in the East Indies during the War of the Austrian Succession and was promoted by Admiral Thomas Griffin to be captain of the 50-gun on 12 March 1748. Adams went ...

, British naval officer * William Adams (naval officer, born 1716) (1716–1763), British naval officer *

William Adams (pilot) (24 September 1564 – 16 May 1620), better known in Japanese as , was an English navigator who, in 1600, was the first Englishman to reach Japan in a ship called 'de Liefde' under the leadership of Jacob Quaeckernaeck, the only surviving ship ...

(1564–1620), English sailor and samurai in Japan *

William E. Adams William Edward Adams (June 16, 1939 – May 25, 1971) was a major in the United States Army who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Vietnam War. On May 25, 1971, Adams volunteered to fly a helicopter to rescue ...

(1939–1971), US Army officer and Medal of Honor recipient *

William Wirt Adams William Wirt Adams (1819–1888) was a banker, planter, state legislator, and a Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army. Early life Adams was born in Frankfort, Kentucky, to Anna Weisiger Adams and Judge George Adams (a personal friend ...

(1819–1888), Confederate States of America army general

Musicians

*Billy Adams, banjo player, a former member of

Dexys Midnight Runners Dexys Midnight Runners (currently officially Dexys, their former nickname, styled without an apostrophe) are an English pop rock band from Birmingham, with soul influences, who achieved major commercial success in the early to mid-1980s. They a ...

will.i.am William James Adams Jr. (born March 15, 1975), known professionally as will.i.am (pronounced "Will-I-am"), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. He is the founding and lead member of the musical group Black Eyed Peas. ...

(William James Adams, Jr., born 1975), musician, producer; member of The Black Eyed Peas * Willy Northpole (William Adams, born 1980), rapper signed to Ludacris' DTP Records * Billy Adams (rockabilly musician) (1940–2019), American rockabilly musician

Politicians

Acton Adams William Acton Blakeway Adams (1843 – 24 January 1924), known as Acton Adams, was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Nelson, New Zealand, Nelson, New Zealand. Early life Adams was born at Wilden Manor, Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, Engl ...

(William Acton Blakeway Adams, 1843–1924), New Zealand politician *

Billy Adams (politician) William Herbert Adams (February 15, 1861 – February 4, 1954), better known as Billy Adams, was an American political figure who served as the 25th governor of the state of Colorado, from 1927 until 1933. Biography Adams was born in Blue Moun ...

(William Herbert Adams, 1861–1954), Governor of Colorado *

William Adams (British Columbia politician) William Adams (March 12, 1851 – July 1, 1936) was a farmer and political figure in British Columbia. He represented Cariboo (provincial electoral district), Cariboo in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia from 1893 to 1898. He reti ...

(1851–1936), rancher and politician in British Columbia, Canada * William Adams (1752–1811), MP for Totnes *

William Adams (New Zealand politician) William Adams (21 March 1811 – 23 July 1884) was a 19th-century Member of Parliament from Marlborough, New Zealand and the first Superintendent of Marlborough Province. Early life Adams was born in Upton, Herefordshire, England, in 1811. He c ...

(1811–1884), New Zealand politician * William E. Adams (New York politician) (1922–1983), New York politician * William G. Adams (1923–2005), Canadian politician *

William Henry Adams William Henry Adams (1809 – 29 August 1865) was a British politician (Conservative Party), lawyer and colonial judge. His final appointment was as Chief Justice of Hong Kong. Early life Adams was born in 1809 and was the son of Thomas Adams ...

(1809–1865), British Conservative MP for Boston and Chief Justice of Hong Kong *

William Taylor Adams William Taylor Adams (July 30, 1822 – March 27, 1897), pseudonym Oliver Optic, was an academic, author, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Early life and education Adams was born in Medway, Massachusetts, on July 30 ...

(1822–1897), author & politician *

William Thomas Adams William Thomas Adams (10 September 1884 – 9 January 1949) was a British Labour Co-operative politician in London who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the last four years of his life. Adams was the son of John Adams, from Oxted in Surr ...

(1884–1949), British Member of Parliament for Hammersmith South, 1945–1949 * Willie Adams (politician) (born 1934), Canadian politician * William Weston Adams (1786–1831), American politician, planter and medical doctor * William H. Adams (Virginia politician) (1872–1958), American politician in the Virginia House of Delegates *

William Y. Adams William Yewdale Adams (August 6, 1927 – August 22, 2019) was an emeritus professor of anthropology at the University of Kentucky. He was the winner of the 1978 Herskovits Prize for his history of Nubia, ''Nubia: Corridor to Africa.'' In 2005 Ada ...

(1927–2019), archaeologist

Science, technology and philosophy

William Adams (locomotive engineer) William Adams (15 October 1823 – 7 August 1904) was an English railway engineer. He was the Locomotive Superintendent of the North London Railway from 1858 to 1873; the Great Eastern Railway from 1873 until 1878 and the London and South West ...

(1823–1904), British locomotive engineer *

William Adams (Master of Pembroke) William Adams (17 August 1706 in Shrewsbury, England – 13 February 1789) was Fellow and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford. Early years and education Adams was born at Shrewsbury on 17 August 1706 and baptised at St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury ...

(1706/7–1789), English scholar *

William Adams (oculist) Sir William Adams (1783–1827), also known as Sir William Rawson after 1825, was an English surgeon. He was born at Morwenstow in Cornwall, youngest son of Henry Adams. He was well known as an ophthalmic surgeon and was founder of Exeter's We ...

(1783–1827), English ophthalmic surgeon *

William Bridges Adams William Bridges Adams (1797 – 23 July 1872) was an English author, inventor and locomotive engineer. He is best known for his patented Adams axle – a successful radial axle design in use on railways in Britain until the end of steam tracti ...

(1797–1872), British inventor, author & locomotive engineer *

William Grylls Adams William Grylls Adams (18 February 1836 in Laneast, Cornwall – 10 April 1915) was professor of Natural Philosophy at King's College, London. He was active in research on subjects ranging from light, magnetism, and astronomy to electrical power ...

(1836–1915), professor of natural philosophy

Sportspeople

Bill Adams (offensive lineman) William Joseph Adams (February 4, 1950) was a former American football offensive guard in the National Football League. He played for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He ...

(born 1950), former Buffalo Bills offensive guard *

Bill Adams (American football coach) Bill Adams was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Arkansas State College—now known as Arkansas State University—from 1939 to 1941, compiling a record of 5–14–2. Adams attended Arkansas State, where he pla ...

, American college football coach *

Bill Adams (Australian footballer) William John Adams (11 December 1900 – 11 August 1973) was an Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy and Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL) before becoming coach of South Melbourne. He also went by his nickname of " ...

(1900–1973), VFL player and coach *

Bill Adams (footballer, born 1902) William Adams (3 November 1902 – 15 March 1963) was an English footballer who played at right-half or right-back in the Football League for Southampton, West Ham United and Southend United in the 1920s and 1930s. Football career Born ...

(1902–1963), Southampton FC right half back * Bill Adams (footballer, born 1921) (1921–1997), English footballer *

Bill Adams (ice hockey) William Vernon Adams (March 29, 1897 – February 4, 1978) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He played with the Regina Capitals of the Western Canada Hockey League, and with the Vancouver Millionaires of the Pacific Coast Hockey Assoc ...

(1897–1978), Canadian ice hockey player * Billy Adams (footballer, born 1897) (1897–1945), footballer for Barrow and West Bromwich Albion * Billy Adams (footballer, born 1919) (1919–1989), English footballer * William Adams (cricketer, born 1885) (1885–1957), English cricketer * William Adams (cricketer, born 1905) (1905–1971), English cricketer * William Adams (footballer), footballer who played for Walsall and West Bromwich Albion *

Willie Adams (1910s pitcher) James Irvin Adams (September 27, 1890 – June 18, 1937) was a pitcher for the St. Louis Browns, Pittsburgh Rebels, and Philadelphia Athletics. He attended Albright College prior to his playing career. He led the American League in earned runs ...

(1890–1937), American baseball player *

Willie Adams (1990s pitcher) William Edward Adams (born October 8, 1972) is an American former professional baseball player whose career spanned eight seasons, including parts of two in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the Oakland Athletics (1996–1997). Over his MLB caree ...

(born 1972), American baseball player (Oakland Athletics) *

Willie Adams (American football) Willie James Adams (December 12, 1941 – September 28, 2019) was a former American football defensive end and linebacker for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League ...

(born 1941), American football player * Willie Adams (basketball) (1911–1992), American basketball player *

Smiley Adams William Ernest "Smiley" Adams (October 4, 1935 – June 19, 2003) was an American trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses who trained Master Derby to win the 1975 Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown series. In what was the 100 ...

(William Ernest Adams), racehorse trainer

Writers

William Adams (author) William Adams (1814–1848), Church of England clergyman and author of Christian allegories popular in Britain in the 19th century. Biography Adams was a member of an old Warwickshire family, being the second son of Mr. Serjeant Adams, by his ma ...

(1814–1848), English religious writer *

William Davenport Adams William Davenport Adams (28 December 185126 July 1904) was an English journalist, drama critic, and author. He was the son of the prolific author William Henry Davenport Adams, and his wife and two sisters also wrote. Biography Born in on 28 ...

(1851–1904), English writer and journalist, son of W. H. D. Adams * William Henry Davenport Adams (1828–1891), English writer and journalist *

(1927–2019), American author of ''Nubia: Corridor to Africa'' * W. E. Adams (1832–1906), English radical and journalist

Clergy

William Adams (Dedham) William Adams (May 27, 1650 – August 17, 1685) was minister of the First Church and Parish in Dedham. Early life He was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts on May 27, 1650, and graduated from Harvard College in 1671. His parents, William Adams Jr., ...

(1650–1685), minister of the First Church and Parish in Dedham *

William Adams (educator) William Adams ( – ) was an American theologian and educator, co-founder of Nashotah House. William Adams was born on County Monaghan, Monaghan, Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College Dublin, Trinity College with a Bachelor of Arts in 1838. ...

(1813–1897), co-founder of Nashotah House *

William Adams (minister) William Adams (January 25, 1807 – August 31, 1880) was a noted American clergyman and academic. Early life He was born in Colchester, Connecticut on January 25, 1807. He was one of five sons and six daughters born to John Adams (1772–1863) ...

(1807–1880), American religious leader and college president *

William Forbes Adams William Forbes Adams (January 2, 1833 – March 5, 1920) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton. He also served as a missionary bishop of Arizona and New Mexico. Early years and education Adams was born on January 2, 1833, in Enniskille ...

(1833–1920), bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Easton

Other uses

William Adams (haberdasher) William Adams (15851661) was a 17th-century London haberdasher born in Newport, Shropshire who, in 1656, founded Adams' Grammar School, now called Haberdashers' Adams. Since his death in 1661, the school has been governed by the Worshipful Compa ...

(1585–1661), London haberdasher and founder of Adams' Grammar School * William Adams (lawyer) (1772–1851), English lawyer, helped negotiate settlements with the US c.1814/1815 *

William Adams (potter) William Adams (baptised 1746; died 1805) was an English potter, a maker of fine jasperware shortly after its development and introduction to the English market by Wedgwood.Wood, 31 Adams was one of three north Staffordshire William Adamses who ...

(c. 1746–1805), North Staffordshire potter, founded the Greengates Pottery *

William Bridges-Adams William Bridges-Adams (1 March 1889 – 17 August 1965) was an English theatre director and designer, associated closely with the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, from 1919 until 1934. Life and career Early years William Brid ...

(1889–1965), British stage director *

William Drea Adams William Drea "Bro" Adams is an American educator and advocate for the humanities. He was the tenth Chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities from 2014 to 2017. He served as the 14th President of Bucknell University from 1995 to 2000, and ...

, president of Bucknell University, 1995–2000; president of Colby College, 2000–2014 * William Adams (mining engineer) (1813–1876) * William L. Adams (pioneer) (1821–1906), American writer, newspaper editor and doctor from Oregon * William L. Adams (businessman) (1914–2011), Baltimore businessman and venture capitalist * William S. Adams (1892–1930), American cinematographer *

William Adams (lifesaver) William Adams (25 January 1864 – 14 October 1913) was a lifesaving, lifesaver, swimmer and swimming instructor from Gorleston on the east coast of England. He made his first rescue at the age of 11 and went on to save a total of 140 lives from ...

(1864–1913), English lifesaver from Gorleston *

William George Stewart Adams William George Stewart Adams (8 November 1874 – 30 January 1966) was a British political scientist and public servant who became principal of an Oxford College and a leader in the fields of voluntary service and rural regeneration. Bac ...

(1874–1966), British political scientist and public servant * William M. Adams (b. 1955), British geographer