[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E782]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MRS. NAOMI A. ADAMS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. KENDRICK B. MEEK

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 18, 2007

  Mr. MEEK of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor one of Miami's 
great ladies, Mrs. Naomi A. Adams, who on April 19, 2007, will 
celebrate her 90th birthday. I know I speak for all of my colleagues in 
extending to her our congratulations and best wishes on this important 
occasion.
  In so many ways, Mrs. Adams exemplifies determination, strength and 
service. She grew up in a segregated Southern city and was educated in 
a segregated school system. However, she overcame adversity, and 
thrived in every facet of her life.
  Determined to develop her talents and make the most of her abilities, 
Mrs. Adams was admitted into the prestigious Tuskegee Institute, which 
was and still is one of the premier institutions of higher learning in 
the nation. She worked in campus jobs in the dining hall and in the 
registrar's office to help make ends meet.
  It was at Tuskegee that two very important events occurred: Mrs. 
Adams studied under the instruction of Dr. George Washington Carver, a 
distinguished American of genius, and she met Mr. Nelson L. Adams, Jr., 
the man who would later become her husband.
  Mrs. Adams graduated in 1940 with a degree in Home Economics, and 
when the couple moved to Miami, she put her knowledge to good use by 
teaching others. She taught home economics and science for more than 
twenty years at Miami's George Washington Carver High School. When the 
Dade County Public Schools were desegregated in 1966, she was 
transferred to Robert E. Lee. Jr. High School, where she worked until 
her retirement in 1977. Mr. Adams, also an educator, was principal of 
Dunbar Elementary School for nearly 25 years.
  Mrs. Adams and her late husband had an overwhelming commitment of 
faith to St. John Baptist Church in Overtown. She has served as a Girl 
Scout troop leader; as a volunteer with the American Red Cross; as a 
member of the board of directors of the Dade County Teachers Credit 
Union and on the board of directors of the Dade County Retired Teachers 
Association. Even today, she is an active member of the Optimist Club, 
AARP, the Tuskegee Alumni Association and the Tuskegee University's 
Presidential Associates Club.
  Mrs. Adams is the mother of two children, Sceiva and Nelson, III, the 
grandmother of five and the great-grandmother of two. Mrs. Adams is the 
embodiment of the ultimate matriarchal figure, and I wish her continued 
happiness as she celebrates her 90th birthday.

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