Former student’s gift establishes 3
interdisciplinary professorships at
Texas A&M College of Architecture

Three interdisciplinary professorships, one for each department in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, were established this year by generous donations from Harold L. Adams of Baltimore, Md., chairman emeritus of RTKL Associates and a member of Texas A&M’s class of 1961.

Adam’s recent $300,000 pledge will create two additional professorships, almost tripling his original commitment, which created the first-of-its-kind Harold L. Adams ’61 Interdisciplinary Professorship in the Department of Architecture. That $180,000 gift was announced last December.

The two new professorships were created in the departments of Construction Science and Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning. Like the Adam’s original professorship, the objective of these new faculty posts reflects the donor's professional experience and vision for the future of the built environment professions, which he sees as evolving beyond traditional academic boundaries. They will support faculty whose work transcends such barriers, encouraging collaboration in research and teaching between the disciplines housed within the college.

“As I look at great successes on building projects,” Adams said, “they are where everyone works as a team from the very beginning. It is for that reason that I have become even more dedicated to bringing that spirit of cooperation to the studio, the classroom and the projects that the students create together.”

Adams retired as CEO and chairman of RTKL Associates in 2003 after 36 years with the firm. Under his leadership, RTKL grew from a single office of 45 people to an international practice including 1,000 professionals in 13 offices worldwide. Today RTKL is regarded as one of the world’s largest architecture, engineering and planning firms

Adams was named a College of Architecture Outstanding Alumnus in 1998. He is also an active member of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council and currently chairs the college’s One Spirit One Vision fundraising committee. His previous gifts to the college include an endowed scholarship and support of the Alan Stacell Student Creativity Fund for extracurricular student activities.

“Harold’s generosity and leadership have given the college a tremendous boost towards being the leading school of its kind in the world,” said J. Thomas Regan, dean of the college. “These gifts are catalysts for change. They advance our college's mission to influence the built and virtual environment professions by demonstrating collaboration among these professions. They also allow us to take advantage of the fact that we have key related disciplines in one college.”

The College of Architecture currently offers 12 degree programs in architecture, construction science, landscape architecture, urban planning, land development and visualization science.

In addition to his service to Texas A&M, Adams is a former chancellor of the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and was the 1997 recipient of AIA’s prestigious Kemper Award for Service. He is active as a trustee and board member for a number of Baltimore and Washington arts, education and civic organizations. He also serves on the board of directors of three public corporations: Legg Mason of Baltimore, Md., Lincoln Electric, based in Cleveland, Ohio, and Commercial Metals Company, headquartered in Irving, Texas.