A Lifelong Commitment To Their Alma Mater
Drs. Howard G. and Eloise Christine Davis Adams met on the campus of the Norfolk Division of Virginia State College in 1960, when she was a freshman, and he was a sophomore. Dr. Howard Adams is a native son of Pittsylvania County, Virginia and Dr. Eloise Adams was born in Southampton County and grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. A chance encounter would change their lives forever and set them on a path of a longtime love affair, not only with each other, but with their alma mater that would become Norfolk State University. A testament to their passion for education and drive to leave a legacy for future generations of students, the couple has created an endowment at NSU. “Support for our alma mater is important,” exclaimed Dr. Howard Adams.
The couple, who have been married for 60 years, have dedicated their lives to not only each other but to the cause of education. They share similar early education backgrounds–having had a daily walk to their respective elementary, middle and high schools. Tenacity and determination are the words that describe them. “I met my wife-to-be, Eloise Christine Davis, also a biology major, in the fall of 1960,” said Adams. “We became study partners following the same biology degree program. We both graduated with B.S. degrees from Norfolk State College in 1964.” Dr. Howard Adams began his career in public education holding positions as a STEM educator at Jacox Junior High School. He earned a master’s degree in biology as a part-time National Science Foundation STEM educator in 1967, and later taught biology at Norview High School. He accepted a position in higher education in 1970, becoming Norfolk State’s first executive director of alumni affairs. In 1973, he was granted a leave of absence to pursue a Ph.D. at Syracuse University. After earning his Ph.D., Howard Adams was recruited to serve as the inaugural executive director for the National Consortium for Gradu- ate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering Inc., the GEM program headquartered at the University of Notre Dame. He retired from GEM in 1995. In 1998, he launched H.G. Adams & Associates Inc., a consulting company providing human development training to a wide range of industrial, educational and governmental clients.
After graduating from the Norfolk Division of Virginia State College in 1964, Dr. Eloise Adams attended Medical Technology School in Mt. Kisco, New York where she earned a certification as a medical technologist. She served as a medical technologist at Norfolk Community Hospital, the city of Norfolk’s only Black hospital, located on Corprew Avenue where the NSU’s police department and a residence hall sit today. She left the medical field and began teaching at Booker T. Washington High School. Dr. Eloise Adams also attended Syracuse University where she obtained a master’s degree. After teaching biology for nine years in Indiana, she left to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of Florida and graduated with the doctorate in molecular biology in 1993. After a 10-year stint as a biology teacher in the Fulton County School System in Georgia, she retired and moved back to Norfolk, Virginia with her husband.
After living storied lives and careers in counties and states around the country, the couple continue to exhibit a life-long love for each other and Norfolk State University. “The purpose of the endowment is to support Norfolk State University. We are vested in supporting students and hope that our financial support will be invested toward scholarship aid," said Dr. Eloise Adams.
Thanks to alumni supporters like Drs. Howard and Eloise Adams, Norfolk State has reached more than 80% of our campaign goal. Their message to alumni and potential donors is simple and succinct... “Support your alma mater!”