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Weston Adams (diplomat)

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Weston Adams
Adams with then-President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office, 1984
United States Ambassador to Malawi
In office
1984–1986
PresidentRonald Reagan
South Carolina House of Representatives
In office
1972–1974
Succeeded byHarold Edward Taylor
Personal details
Born (1938-09-16) September 16, 1938 (age 86)
Columbia, South Carolina
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1962; died 2020)​
RelationsJoel Adams (3 greats grandfather)
William Weston Adams (3rd great uncle)
Robert Adams II (great grandfather)
Julia Peterkin (great aunt)
Children4, including Robert Adams, VI and Julian Adams II
Alma materUniversity of South Carolina A.B.
University of South Carolina School of Law LL.B.
University of South Carolina Honorary Doctorate
CommitteesSelect Committee on Crime of the U.S. House of Representatives
Presidential Elector, U.S. Electoral College
U.S. National Commission to UNESCO
Council of American Ambassadors
Military service
AllegianceUnited States United States of America
Branch/serviceUnited States Air Force
United States Air Force Reserve
Military Department of The State of South Carolina
Years of service1963–1966
1966-1973
2000–2010
RankMajor-United States Air Force
Major General-Military Department of The State of South Carolina

Weston Adams II (born September 16, 1938) is an American diplomat, politician, and lawyer in Columbia, South Carolina.

Early life and education

Adams was born in Columbia, South Carolina, the son of Robert Adams IV and Helen Hayes Calhoun. He graduated from the University of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Military and political service

Following graduation from law school, Adams served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of The United States Air Force from 1963-1966. Adams served in the United States Air Force Reserves from 1966-1973, and reached the rank of Major General in the Military Department of South Carolina (2000-2010), where his last assignment was command of the Special Operations and Advisory Group, reporting directly to MG Stanhope Spears,[1] then South Carolina Adjutant General.

Adams served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1972-1974. In 1980, Adams served as a Presidential Elector in the U.S. Electoral College.

He was a Delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1976, 1980, 1988, and 1992.[2]

Diplomatic service

Weston Adams and Ronald Reagan c. 1976.

In 1982, Ambassador Adams served as a member of the United States Presidential Delegation to the Inauguration of President Salvador Jorge Blanco of the Dominican Republic with the rank of Special Ambassador. The Delegation was led by Ambassador Ellsworth Bunker, former Ambassador to Italy, India, Argentina, and South Vietnam.[3]

Adams served on the U.S. National Commission to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) from 1982–1984, and he also served on The Council of American Ambassadors.[4] Under President Ronald Reagan, Adams served as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malawi in southern Africa from 1984-1986.[4] As of 2016 he was a member of the Wilson Council of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.

Adams is the managing partner of the Weston Adams Law Firm in Columbia, South Carolina.

Adams served as Associate Counsel to the Select Committee on Crime of the United States House of Representatives from 1970-1971.[5] The U.S. House Select Committee on Crime was established by Congressman Claude Pepper of Florida.[6]

Film work

Adams is an owner of Solar Filmworks as a film producer. He produced and wrote the feature film, The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams (2007) with his son Julian Adams. The film is a North-South love story about Confederate Captain Robert Adams II, his great grandfather, and his great grandmother, Eveline McCord (Adams) of Philadelphia (the great grandniece of Betsy Ross).[7]

The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams also stars Amy Redford, Mickey Rooney, Tippi Hedren, Edwin McCain, and Bob Dorian. It was released in 2007 by ThinkFilm, and won 10 awards on the film festival circuit.[8]

Honours

In 2006 Adams was made Knight of Grace in The Venerable Order of Saint John by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2007 The University of South Carolina awarded Adams with an honorary doctoral degree.

Adams was granted the Order of the Palmetto by the Governor of South Carolina in 1974.[4]

Adams was made Knight Grand Cross of the Imperial Order of The Holy Trinity (Imperial Ethiopia), and was made Knight Grand Cross of The Imperial Order of Emperor Menelik II (Order of Menelik II, Imperial Ethiopia), by Prince Ermias Sahle Selassie, grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.[9][10]

Adams is a direct descendant of Betsy Ross's sister and is a scholar of Betsy Ross.[11]

Notes and references

  1. ^ "National Guard Biography of MG Stanhope Spears". Retrieved June 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "Republican National Convention Delegates". politicalgraveyard.com. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  3. ^ "NYTimes article Ellsworth Bunker Dominican Delegation 1982". nytimes.com. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c "Council of American Ambassadors: Weston Adams". americanambassadors.org. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  5. ^ "Reagan Library, Appointment of Ambassador Weston Adams". reaganlibrary.org. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  6. ^ "National Archives, U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on Crime". catalog.archives.gov. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  7. ^ "McCord bibles, Betsy Ross". mccordbibles.com. Archived from the original on September 11, 2014. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  8. ^ "The Last Confederate:The Story of Robert Adams (2007)". IMDB.com. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  9. ^ "Imperial Order of the Holy Trinity, Ethiopia, Weston Adams". emering.com. Retrieved November 19, 2013.
  10. ^ "Imperial Order of the Dragon". emering.com. Retrieved November 13, 2013.
  11. ^ "Ambassador Weston Adams speaker 89th Annual Flag Day Betsy Ross House". articles.philly.com. Retrieved November 13, 2013.

References

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by United States Ambassador to Malawi
1984–1986 		Succeeded by
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