Valdas Adamkus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Valdas Adamkus
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Adamkus in 2010
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| 5th and 7th President of Lithuania | |
| In office 12 July 2004 – 12 July 2009 |
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| Prime Minister |
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| Preceded by | Artūras Paulauskas (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Dalia Grybauskaitė |
| In office 26 February 1998 – 26 February 2003 |
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| Prime Minister |
List
Gediminas Vagnorius
Irena Degutienė (Acting) Rolandas Paksas Irena Degutienė (Acting) Andrius Kubilius Rolandas Paksas Eugenijus Gentvilas (Acting) Algirdas Brazauskas |
| Preceded by | Algirdas Brazauskas |
| Succeeded by | Rolandas Paksas |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Voldemaras Adamkavičius
3 November 1926 Kaunas, Lithuania |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | University of Munich Illinois Institute of Technology |
| Profession | Civil engineer, civil servant |
| Signature |  |
Valdas Adamkus (born Voldemaras Adamkavičius; 3 November 1926) is a famous Lithuanian politician. He also worked as a diplomat and a civil engineer. He served as the President of Lithuania two times. His first term was from 1998 to 2003. His second term was from 2004 to 2009.
Valdas Adamkus was first president for five years. He lost the 2003 election to Rolandas Paksas. But Paksas was later removed from office. Adamkus then ran for president again and won. People really respected him during this time. He was followed by Dalia Grybauskaitė in 2009. Many people think he was one of Lithuania's best leaders.
He was married to Alma Adamkienė. She did a lot of good work helping people in Lithuania. After being president, Adamkus kept working on international projects. He is also a member of the European Academy of Diplomacy.
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Early Life of Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus was born on November 3, 1926, in Kaunas, Lithuania. His first name was "Voldemaras Adamkavičius." He changed it to "Valdas Adamkus" in 1955. His father was one of the first leaders of the Lithuanian Air Force School. His uncle, Edvardas Adamkavičius, was a general in the Lithuanian army. When he was young, Adamkus loved track and field. He even set a national record for running 100 meters.
As a young man, Adamkus joined a secret group. This group worked against the first Soviet takeover of Lithuania in 1940. During the Nazi occupation, he helped share a secret newspaper against the Germans. In 1944, the Soviets invaded Lithuania again. He fought against them with the Fatherland Defense Force. But the Soviet army was too strong. He and his family left Lithuania to escape the Soviet rule.
Moving to the United States
He studied at the University of Munich in Germany. Then, in 1949, he moved to the United States. He could speak five languages: Lithuanian, Polish, English, Russian, and German. In the 1950s, he worked in military intelligence for the U.S. Army.
When he arrived in Chicago, Illinois, he was a displaced person. He first worked in a car factory. Later, he became a draftsman, drawing technical plans. In 1961, Adamkus became a civil engineer from Illinois Institute of Technology. While he was a student, he and other Lithuanians in America gathered 40,000 signatures. They asked the U.S. government to stop the Soviets from sending Lithuanians to Siberia. This petition was given to Vice President Richard Nixon. Adamkus also told the United Nations and President John F. Kennedy about Soviet actions in Lithuania.
Career in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
In 1970, he joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). He worked in Cincinnati. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan made him a regional administrator. He was in charge of programs for air, water, and waste pollution. These programs covered six states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. In 1985, President Reagan gave him a special award. It was the highest honor for a government worker.
In 1972, Adamkus visited Lithuania for the first time in almost 30 years. He was part of a U.S. group at an environmental meeting in Moscow. As the Soviet Union changed, Adamkus visited his homeland more often. He worked as an EPA regional administrator for 16 years. He retired in 1997 after 29 years of service. When he retired, he received a letter from President Bill Clinton. He also got an award from the EPA. The EPA even created a new award named after him.
President of Lithuania
First Time as President (1998–2003)
After leaving the EPA, Valdas Adamkus moved back to Lithuania. He decided to run for president in 1998. There was a legal question about whether he could run. He had lived outside Lithuania for over 50 years. This made people wonder if he met the residency rules. But the court decided he could run. He also gave up his U.S. citizenship. He was elected President of Lithuania in 1998. He won against Artūras Paulauskas. He served until 2003. He ran for re-election but lost to Rolandas Paksas.
He returned to politics after a big scandal in 2003 and 2004. His former rival, Paksas, was removed from office. In the first round of the 2004 election, Adamkus got the most votes. Paksas could not run again because of a court ruling. Adamkus won the second round of the election. He won with about 52% of the votes against Kazimira Prunskienė. By 2009, he had served two terms. The Lithuanian Constitution allows only two terms. Dalia Grybauskaitė became the next president.
In 2003, Valdas Adamkus became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. This means he helped UNESCO with its goals. He was chosen because he cared about building "knowledge societies." UNESCO said he had great wisdom and experience. He helped promote social development, cultural diversity, and international cooperation.
Second Time as President (2004–2009)
Foreign Affairs
During his second time as president, Lithuania worked to spread democracy. This was especially true in countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union. President Adamkus helped solve a political problem in Ukraine in 2004. Two candidates claimed they won the election. Adamkus and other leaders helped them find a solution. A new election was held, and the problem was solved.
In 2005, Valdas Adamkus and the Estonian president did not go to a World War II celebration. Adamkus felt that for Lithuania, the end of the war meant 50 years of Soviet control. In response, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution. It said Russia should admit that the Soviet Union illegally took over the Baltic countries. But Russia refused to do so.
President Adamkus wanted the European Union to talk more with former Soviet republics. Countries like Georgia, Ukraine, and Moldova want to join the EU. He supported them joining the EU. He spoke about this at several meetings.
Valdas Adamkus is an honorary member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation.
Domestic Affairs
Valdas Adamkus was very popular in Lithuania. He was also recognized for supporting Lithuanian youth. President Adamkus helped reorganize the government in 2004 and 2006. In 2006, he gave a speech about his main goals. These goals included:
- Getting more people involved in politics.
- Using EU money wisely to make Lithuania better.
- Improving government, education, science, and healthcare.
- Helping government workers become more skilled.
- Creating a code of ethics for politicians.
- Allowing people to directly elect mayors.
- Building a new nuclear power plant.
- Making rules for choosing judges.
- Stopping "brain drain" by supporting research and education.
Personal Life
In 1951, Adamkus married Alma Nutautaite. They did not have children. They helped pay for the largest bell of the Kaunas Carillon. This bell weighs 751 kg. Alma Nutautaite passed away in May 2023.
On January 3, 2025, Adamkus was taken to the hospital in Vilnius. He had a heart problem that got worse.
Awards and Honors
Valdas Adamkus has received many awards from Lithuania and other countries. These awards show how much he has done.
Lithuanian Honors
- Order of Vytautas the Great with Golden Chain (2003)
- Lithuanian Scout Association Order of Iron Wolf (2002)
- Medal for Merits to Vilnius and the Nation (2019)
- Golden Order of the State Emblem of Lithuania (2019)
- Riflemen's Star
International Honors
- Order of Mother Theresa (Albania, 2007)
- Order of St. Meshrop Mashtots (Armenia, 2002)
- Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria (Austria, 2009)
- Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium, 2006)
- First Class of the Order of Stara Planina (Bulgaria, 2009)
- Collar of the Order of the Merit of Chile (Chile, 2008)
- Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana (Estonia, 1999)
- Collar of the Order of the White Star (Estonia, 2004)
- European of the Year (Europe, 2007)
- Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (Finland, 2002)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour (France, 2001)
- St. George's Victory Order (Georgia, 2007)
- Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Germany, 2005)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece, 1999)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (Hungary, 1999)
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon (Iceland, 1998)
- Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Italy, 1999)
- Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum (Japan, 2007)
- First Class of the Order of Friendship (Kazakhstan, 2000)
- Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Three Stars (Latvia, 2001)
- Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (Malta, 1999)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion (Netherlands, 2008)
- Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (Norway, 1998)
- Knight of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland, 1999)
- Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (Poland, 2009)
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (Portugal, 2007)
- Collar of the Order of the Star of Romania (Romania, 2001)
- St Andrew 'Dialog of Civilization' prize laureate (Russia, 2002)
- First Class of the Order of the White Double Cross (Slovakia, 2005)
- Knight of the Collar of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (Spain, 2005)
- Member of the Order of Liberty (Ukraine, 2009)
- Member First Class of the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise (Ukraine, 1998)
- Member First Class of the Order of Merit (Ukraine, 2006)
- Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (United Kingdom, 2006)
- President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service (United States, 1985)
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (United States, 1999)
- Member of the Order For Special Merits (Uzbekistan, 2002)
Honorary Doctorates
Adamkus has received special honorary doctorates from many universities. These are in Lithuania, the United States, and other countries. Some of them include:
- Vilnius University (Lithuania, 1989)
- Indiana St. Joseph's College (USA, 1991)
- Northwestern University (USA, 1994)
- Kaunas University of Technology (Lithuania, 1998)
- The Catholic University of America (USA, 1998)
- Lithuanian University of Agriculture (Lithuania, 1999)
- Illinois Institute of Technology (USA, 1999)
- Eurasian University (Kazakhstan, 2000)
- DePaul University (USA, 2001)
- Law University of Lithuania (Lithuania, 2001)
- Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania, 2002)
- Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education (Lithuania, 2004)
- Yerevan State University (Armenia, 2006)
- Baku State University (Azerbaijan, 2006)
- Donetsk University (Ukraine, 2006)
- University of Notre Dame (USA, 2007)
- Nicolaus Copernicus University (Poland, 2007)
- Tallinn University (Estonia, 2008)
- University of Chile (Chile, 2008)
- Klaipėda University (Lithuania, 2008)
- John Paul II Catholic University (Poland, 2009)
- ISM University of Management and Economics (Lithuania, 2009)
Images for kids
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President Adamkus meeting with Vice President of the United States Dick Cheney in Lithuania.
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Adamkus shaking hands with George W. Bush in the Presidential Palace in Vilnius.
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Mikheil Saakashvili, Lech Kaczyński and Valdas Adamkus in Tbilisi, November 2007
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See Also
- List of presidents of Lithuania
- Presidential Palace, Vilnius
- Historical Presidential Palace, Kaunas
- Knight of Freedom Award
