Michael F. Adams, who served as the 21st president of the University of Georgia (UGA) from 1997 to 2013, died on January 25, 2026, at age 77 after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lynn Ethridge Adams; sons David Adams and Taylor Adams (Carrie); and three granddaughters.
During his presidency, Adams led UGA to increased national recognition among public research universities. Under his leadership, enrollment grew from nearly 29,700 students in 1997 to about 35,000 in 2012. The university added over a hundred endowed professorships and brought in numerous eminent scholars through the Georgia Research Alliance. Federal research funding nearly tripled during this period.
Adams oversaw the creation of several academic units: the School of Public and International Affairs (2001), College of Environment and Design (2001), College of Public Health (2005), Odum School of Ecology (2007), College of Engineering (2012), and a Medical Partnership with Augusta University in 2010 that laid groundwork for UGA’s School of Medicine.
Reflecting on his time as president during his final State of the University address in 2013, Adams said: “This is about more than numbers. It is about people, about opportunity, about the power of education to improve both an individual’s life and the community in which he or she lives. It’s about transformation… I believe in this place; I believe in higher education; I believe in the power of education to change lives. I’m exhibit A of that, and it has given me an opportunity to represent the institution and move it forward.”
The physical campus changed significantly under Adams’ tenure with more than $1 billion invested in new construction and renovations. Major projects included teaching facilities, arts spaces, housing developments like East Campus Village, the Zell B. Miller Learning Center, Paul D. Coverdell Center for Biomedical and Health Sciences, Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries, and expansion of the Georgia Museum of Art. UGA also developed international programs with permanent sites for study abroad in England, Italy, and Costa Rica.
Private giving doubled during his presidency; UGA’s endowment rose from approximately $249 million to almost $746 million by 2011. By the end of his tenure, Adams’ signature appeared on roughly half of all living alumni degrees.
Current UGA President Jere W. Morehead stated: “I am deeply saddened to learn of President Adams’ passing… When Dr. Adams became president, he outlined an ambitious vision for the future… he implemented that vision and elevated the national reputation of UGA in so many positive ways.”
Meg Amstutz—dean of Morehead Honors College—said: “President Adams truly believed in the transformational power of higher education… he envisioned and launched bold new programs… He clearly understood that the future health of the state was tied to the strength of its flagship university.”
Adams received more than fifty awards recognizing his work as a university administrator including honors from foundations supporting presidential leadership and civil rights initiatives. He held leadership roles within major national organizations such as Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and NCAA’s Executive Committee.
Before coming to UGA, Adams served as president at Centre College from 1989-1997; vice president at Pepperdine College; faculty member at Ohio State University; chief-of-staff for Senate Minority Leader Howard Baker; aide to Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander; later chancellor at Pepperdine after leaving Athens.
In closing remarks from his presidency he said: “None of us are owners of the University of Georgia; we merely are stewards of a legacy entrusted to us by generations… We are here for a time serving an enterprise that is owned by the people.”
