Athens, Ga. – Timothy Adams Sr., a 36-year veteran of the Cousins School in Covington, Ga., will present the 2012 Hugh Hodgson School of Music convocation address on May 7.
Adams will be welcomed to the University of Georgia, a campus that once had no place for him as an African-American student but where his son, Timothy Adams Jr., is now a professor of music and head of percussion in the school of music.
Adams began his conducting career at Hazlehurst High School at age 17. In honor of his dedication and commitment as a teacher of music, he was elected teacher of the year on four separate occasions. A director of woodwind camps throughout the state for more than 25 years, he continues membership in numerous professional and civic organizations including the YMCA of Covington, the Arts Association of Newton County and the Kiwanis Club of Covington.
Adams resides in Covington with his wife Louise B. Adams, retired principal of Ficquett Elementary School.
Their son, Adams Jr., joined the UGA faculty in 2010 after 15 years as the principal timpanist for the Pittsburgh Symphony. He also has served as the principal percussionist at the Eastern Music Festival on two occasions and the timpanist/percussionist at the Brevard Music Center for 10 years. Adams Jr. performed with the Cleveland Orchestra for two years and with the Atlanta Symphony for five years starting at the age of 17.
Prior to being hired at UGA, Adams Jr. was professor of percussion at Carnegie Mellon University. He was recently named the Mildred Goodrum Heyward Professor of Music in the Hodgson School of Music, pending Board of Regents approval.
“Because segregation policies at UGA forced Mr. Adams to seek his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at other institutions, it is significant that his son Timothy Jr. is now a tenured, full professor on our faculty,” said Dale Monson, director of the school of music. “We are honored to have Mr. Adams visit campus and address our graduating students this year.”
The Hugh Hodgson School of Music is a unit of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Georgia. For more information, see http://www.music.uga.edu/.