John Adams Jr. (Nebraska politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Adams Jr.
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| Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 9th (Representatives, 1935), 5th (Unicameral, 1937-1941) district |
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| In office 1935–1941 |
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| Preceded by | Johnny Owen |
| Succeeded by | Dr. Harry Foster |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 14, 1906 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | April 19, 1999 (aged 92) |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Constance Singleton |
| Alma mater | A.B. and LL.B. degrees from University of Nebraska |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–46 (U.S. Army) |
| Rank |  Captain and Judge Advocate (US) |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
John Adams Jr. (born August 14, 1906 – died April 19, 1999) was an American lawyer and politician from the Republican Party. He was a member of the special Nebraska Legislature, which has only one house of lawmakers. Born in Columbia, South Carolina, he later lived in Omaha, Nebraska after 1923.
He served in the very last session of the Nebraska House of Representatives. When Nebraska changed to its unique one-house (unicameral) legislature in 1937, he was the only African American member in its first session. He served there until 1941. The Omaha World Herald newspaper even called him one of the 16 most skilled members of the Legislature. While he was a lawmaker, he helped create Nebraska's first public housing law. He also supported other laws that helped people. During World War II, he served as a Judge Advocate (a military lawyer) at Camp Knight in Oakland, California.
Early Life and Education
John Adams Jr. was born on August 14, 1906, in Columbia, South Carolina. His parents were Reverend John Adams Sr. and Hattie (Bowman) Adams. His father was also a lawyer and a minister. Interestingly, his father, John Adams Sr., also served in the Nebraska Legislature after his son did.
John Adams Jr. went to Pueblo High School in Pueblo, Colorado. In 1923, his family moved to Nebraska. He then attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). He was one of only 21 African American students there. In 1929, he was the only African American student in his Law School class. He had already earned his first college degree from UNL in 1927.
His brothers, Ralph W. and Harold S., also went to UNL. Ralph W. also became a lawyer in Omaha. John Adams Jr. joined the U.S. Army as an officer in April 1932. He was later promoted to Captain and worked as a trial judge advocate at Camp Knight in Oakland, California. Both of his brothers also served in the war. After the war, John Adams Jr. returned to California and focused on real estate law. He continued to work with the Republican Party in California.
A Career in Law
John Adams Jr. started his law career as a criminal lawyer. He also sometimes worked on civil rights cases. These cases involved fighting for fair treatment for all people, especially African Americans, during a time when there was a lot of unfairness.
In one important case, he and his wife were refused service at a restaurant. When the police arrived, they told the restaurant that the law said they had to serve the Adams'. The restaurant then served them a hamburger with too much salt to eat. John Adams Jr. had to type his own complaint because the police said they didn't have civil rights forms. The case went to court, and the judge found the restaurant guilty. The restaurant later changed its policy.
In another situation, Adams was arrested for not moving to the "Jim Crow" section of a movie theater. These were unfair rules that forced African Americans to sit in separate, often worse, areas. When he got to the police station, the Police Chief released him and told the officer off. Adams was also very active in the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an organization that works for civil rights. Later in his life, he became a real estate lawyer. He was the first second-generation African American lawyer in Nebraska.
Serving in Politics
John Adams Jr. first ran for the state legislature in 1932. He didn't win that time. But in 1934, he won the election for the Ninth District. He beat the person who was already in office, Johnny Owen. Before Owen, the representative for that district was John Andrew Singleton, an African American dentist. Adams had worked with Singleton before, helping to form a group called the Consolidated Negro Political Organization in 1933.
In 1936, Adams was against the idea of changing the Nebraska legislature to a unicameral system (one house instead of two). Even so, he served in the new unicameral legislature. His new district, the fifth, was larger and included more white voters. However, in the 1937 election, more than 80 percent of his votes came from white voters, and he won!
During his campaigns, he often spoke about important issues. He was against sales and income taxes. He supported having judges appointed by the governor instead of elected. He also supported unemployment insurance and better funding for education. He won re-election in 1939 and 1941, both times campaigning against new taxes. In 1942, he lost his re-election bid.
