Remembering Colorful Curtis Adams

It’s been just over four years since Hamilton County lost one of our most enthusiastic cheerleaders. Curtis Adams died July 2, 2019 at the age of 86. Mr. Adams was the senior county commissioner, having served the longest tenure of anyone on the governing body.

He was very proud of his family history having moved to Chattanooga when he was a boy. His father, Rev. Dewey Adams, was pastor of the Hughes Avenue Baptist Church in Alton Park. Curtis said, “I think I was raised in church, we were there almost all day Sunday, Wednesday evening and for special events, I especially liked the all-day singings and dinner on the ground.”

I won’t attempt to write Mr. Adams' life story but I did spend considerable time with the commissioner sharing both laughter and sorrow and have many good memories.

Curtis was proud of his affiliation with the Chattanooga News Free Press as advertising and circulation manager for over 40 years and he traveled a lot with publisher Roy McDonald. He said Mr. Roy would call him and say, “Son is the car full of gas, meet me at the front door." He said. "Mr. Roy even took me to Little Rock, Ark. to meet the newspaper’s current owner.”

I was there the day in 1988 when Mr. Adams was named to fill the un-expired term of another county commissioner who had resigned. He said, “I have Mr. Roy’s full support.”

Mr. Adams had a lengthy career at the News Free Press and was as close to publisher McDonald as anyone could be outside of family. He was always telling stories about Mr. Roy.

It wasn’t long after his appointment I called the new commissioner and invited him to be on Sunday Morning Sound Off and he accepted my invitation. I didn’t think he’d return because some of his views were different from the listeners. At the end of the show he said he’d enjoyed being on the air and would come back anytime.

Although Mr. Adams represented mostly his East Ridge community he worked just as hard for citizens who lived in other parts of Hamilton County. Just one example, Curtis helped a widow lady I knew get a bus stop moved from in front of her house because the children were damaging her front porch flowers.

The Adams family operated a tire store on Main Street for several years and Mr. Adams became a fixture on the Hey Earl daily radio show after his two sons died. He’d do the tire store commercial and then we’d started talking about whatever.

One of the funniest stories was when Mr. Adams said he traveled to Central America to try and find Hamilton County a school superintendent. (Local educators normally didn’t promote from within). Curtis said he got up early, Dot took him to the airport and he went to the UPS hanger. He told the manager he’d load packages if they give him a ride south. A few days later he called and described his place in the back of the large cargo plane. Mr. Adams said it was 120 degrees all the way to Panama. He said he tried real hard to find a school superintendent but no one spoke English and he didn’t speak Spanish. He said a federal express plane was coming back to Chattanooga so he helped them load packages and rode in the back going home, unsuccessful in finding a new school boss.

Another time, Curtis called and said he was up in a tree off Suck Creek in Marion County and his cell phone battery was dying. He wanted me to call his wife Dot to come get him. He said he thought he was going to speak to a group of Methodist men but it turned out to be the Marion County Cock Fighters Association and the TBI had raided the place. Mr. Adams said he ran out the back door and climbed up a large oak tree. It sounded so real and a few minutes later Sheriff Lloyd Hood called me and asked, “What is going on? Someone called me about a raid and I’m not aware of a cock fighters club in this county.” When I told him it was just a lighter moment from Commissioner Adams, Sheriff Hood said, “Oh I understand now, that commissioner is so funny.” The sheriff said, “Some of my friends really believed that nonsense.”

Commissioner Adams loved Southern Gospel Music. He was very proud of his choir at a Baptist Church in East Ridge Church where he led the singing. He brought the famous Blackwood Brothers in to sing one Sunday morning and the small church was overflowing. The ladies of the church had prepared fried chicken, baked beans, potato salad lunch with homemade banana pudding. Jimmy Blackwood and the group said they’d never had such a good time singing and eating.

Mr. Adams encouraged his close friend fellow Commissioner Bill Hullander to start a Red Back Hymnal singing the third Sunday of each month. Mr. Hullander would call on Mr. Adams to lead the congregation in his favorite hymn, “Blessed Assurance.” There was even a special place on an old couch where Mr. Adams would sit during the singings. Mr. Hullander said the singings haven’t been the same since his good friend passed.

For several years Mr. Adams was host of a weekly program on WDYN AM and FM, “Getting to Know You.” He interviewed over 100 politicians, prominent citizens, business and church leaders. He was proud of each conversation that included Astec Industries founder Don Brock, Hamilton County Clerk Bill Knowles, Attorney Jerry Summers, New Free Press City Editor J.B. Collins and reporter John Wilson who now publishes the daily Chattanoogan.com. Mr. Adams said, “Wilson was a very close friend and beat the odds, he has more readers than many newspapers.”

Mr. Adams was a family man, two sons, two daughters and over a dozen grandchildren, and he was full of humor. He said he’d buy his wife Dot a new garbage can, clippers and weedeater on her birthday. For Christmas he said he’d go to Sears and buy her a new push lawn mower, “we really can’t afford a putt putt.” He’d kid about Dot operating a lawn service and she would get calls from friends wanting to know when she could come and mow their grass or cut their hedge. He’d tell them, “I’ll have Dot call you.” Mr. Adams said he’d save up enough money to buy Dot a good used vacuum cleaner on Valentine's Day. Mr. Adams never was the same after his wife passed in 2014.

Curtis loved to joke about Highland Park Baptist Church Minister of Music Jerry Matthesis wearing white socks while leading the massive choir or running with members of the City Council or County Commission who may have been the center of controversy.

He was overjoyed when WDYN General Manager Tom Sneed named him honorary chairman of several Share– a– thons. Mr. Adams would stay with us many hours urging listeners to support the all Christian radio station.

One thing many didn’t know was Adams loved to write poetry. He wrote several about this writer.

The last time I had an extended visit with Curtis Adams was the day he took retired Hamilton County Executive Dalton Roberts and I to the Epicurean Restaurant for lunch. Mr. Adams asked Mr. Roberts the one thing he didn’t get to do during his 12 years in the top county job. Dalton responded, “I wish I’d fought harder for replacing Kirkman Technical High School, I know you (Curtis) could have got me the five votes needed to pass a bond issue.” Both men would be proud of County Mayor Weston Wamp’s plan to re-open Kirkman downtown, less than a mile from where the popular technical high school was located for 65 years.

Curtis Adams was like a special uncle to me. I could call him anytime and tell him anything, he never got mad. There are so many memories of Commissioner Adams; he was a friend I’ll never forget.