University of Delaware Office of Public Relations The Messenger Vol. 5, No. 2/1996 For the good of the state If you're traveling down a Delaware highway and are grateful you can turn right on a red light, thank Thurman Adams, Delaware '50. And, if you're traveling too fast and are stopped for speeding-you may have reason to thank Adams again. As a member of the Delaware Senate for the past 24 years, Adams sponsored a bill that allows right-on-red-after-stop turns and one that allows motorists to mail in their traffic fines instead of having to appear in court immediately. "I've always tried to introduce legislation that would be good for the whole state, not just a small portion of it," Adams says. "I hope that every bill will make life better." One bill designed to do just that is the enhanced 9-1-1 bill that Adams sponsored a few years ago. The bill provided an emergency network in the state that is able to trace the location of an incoming call. Stroke victims, for example, suddenly unable to talk, can have their location ascertained if they dial "E" before they dial 9-1-1. The system has similar capabilities for tracing bomb threats, Adams says. "I told them when I introduced this bill on the floor that it would be one of our most important pieces of legislation because it would save someone's life," he recalls. Adams has seen many changes in Delaware government since his early days when, as a member of the Highway Commission, he watched then President John F. Kennedy officially open Interstate 95 (which runs through the northern part of the First State) just eight days before his assassination. For the past 20 years, Adams has served on the Senate Executive Committee, the first stop for governmental appointments that need Senate confirmation, including judges, magistrates and University trustees. A strong supporter of the agricultural community, Adams also has chaired the Senate agricultural committee for two decades. His feed and grain business, T.G. Adams & Sons Inc., is on the family's 220-acre farm in Bridgeville, Del., where Adams and his father were born. Adams rents additional land for a total of 1,600 double-cropped acres on which he grows some of the corn, beans, wheat and barley used in the business. Adams, who has served seven terms, is a Democrat, but he makes it a point not to ask the party affiliation of any constituent. "I have no idea what the party affiliation is of most of the people who call me. It has never made a difference in the way I respond. People know they can (and they do) call me seven days a week. I always try to be available. I tell new legislators it's one of the most important things: 'Even if a concern seems trivial to you, remember, it's important to them. Legislators aren't the ones to judge the importance of a concern. If you can help someone, do it.'" Adams says he became interested in politics while at UD, where he was active in student government. He also was a member of UD's first lacrosse team, before it was a varsity sport. He met his wife, the former Hilda McCabe, Delaware '53, at his senior-year farewell dance. One daughter, Lynn Adams Slater Kokjohn, also graduated from the University. His other children include a son, Brent, who runs the feed business with his father, and a daughter, Polly, who lives with her family on the home farm. On May 26, Adams will receive the University's Medal of Distinction, during the College of Agricultural Sciences Convocation ceremony. The Medal of Distinction, awarded by the Board of Trustees, recognizes outstanding professional achievements. -Beth Thomas