Paul L. Adams (New York)

Paul L. Adams (March 15, 1915 – July 28, 1984) was an American academic who served as president of Roberts Wesleyan College from 1974 to 1981. He also twice ran for Governor of New York as a Conservative Party candidate, recording some of the highest totals by a third-party candidate in state history.

Adams was born in Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania (on the outskirts of Pittsburgh). On the recommendation of Merlin G. Smith, a family friend who was the university's president, he briefly attended Roberts Wesleyan (then known as Chesbrough Seminary) as an undergraduate. However, Roberts Wesleyan only offered two-year degrees at that time, so Adams completed his undergraduate education at Greenville College (in Greenville, Illinois). He served in the United States Army during World War II, and then on his return did graduate work at the University of Rochester and Ohio State University. Adams returned to Roberts Wesleyan in 1950, as a member of the faculty. Initially a history and political science professor, he later became head of the social studies department and academic dean. He left in 1972 to become academic dean of Hillsdale College (in Hillsdale, Michigan), but returned to Roberts Wesleyan in 1974 as president, a position which he held until his retirement in 1981. Adams died of cancer at Genesee Hospital, Rochester, in July 1984, aged 69. A music scholarship was established in his name. He had married Jean Parmerter in 1946, with whom he had three sons and a daughter.

Previously enrolled as a Republican, in 1966 Adams left that party to run as the gubernatorial candidate of the Conservative Party of New York (which had only been founded in 1962 and contested a single previous statewide election). In a surprise result, Adams won 8.46% of the statewide vote, which was the best result for a third-party candidate since 1944 (when Dean Alfange won 9.79%). Only Herbert London (Conservative Party, 1990, 20.40%) and Tom Golisano (Independence Party, 2002, 14.28%) have won more votes as a third-party candidate since then. In several counties, Adams won over 10% of the vote, including a high of 18.73% in Richmond County. Most importantly, Adams beat the Liberal Party candidate, Franklin Roosevelt Jr., securing his party Row C on the state ballot for the next elections.

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