Wilbur L. Adams

Adams was born in Georgetown, Delaware, son of William Dunning Adams and Sarah Lavinia (Thompson) Adams. He had attended Delaware College in Newark and Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In 1907 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law at Philadelphia, was admitted to the Delaware Bar, and began the practice of law in Wilmington.

Adams was an unsuccessful candidate for election as state Attorney General in 1924.

In 1932, the incumbent Republican U.S. Representative, Robert G. Houston, was involved in an intra-party dispute over prohibition and failed to win the Republican nomination. As a result, Adams was able to win a narrow victory, and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1932, defeating Republican Reuben Satterthwaite Jr. Adams served with the Democratic majority in the 73rd Congress. In the U.S. House, Adams voted with the straight New Deal program. He served from March 4, 1933, until January 3, 1935, during the administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1934, Adams decided not to seek reelection, but rather to challenge the popular incumbent U.S. Senator John G. Townsend Jr. for his U.S. Senate seat. A thoughtful moderate Republican, Townsend had supported much of the New Deal legislation, and had demonstrated considerable effectiveness through his involvement in the establishment of such things as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. By contrast, Adams had a low profile in the House of Representatives and Townsend was able to raise questions about Adams' effectiveness for Delaware. Once again bucking national trends, Delaware had its own local Republican landslide in 1934, led by Townsend. Adams came home and moved to Georgetown, Delaware, where he continued the practice of law. He was also the acting Postmaster at Georgetown from May 6, 1937, until his death.

Adams died at the Beebe Hospital, Lewes, Delaware. He is buried in the Union Cemetery, located at South Race Street, Georgetown.

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. U.S. Representatives took office March 4 and have a two-year term. Since 1935 all Congressional terms began January 3.

• {{cite book |title=Clearing New Ground, The Life of John G. Townsend Jr. |last=Carter |first=Richard B. |publisher=The Delaware Heritage Press |location=Wilmington, Delaware |year=2001 |isbn=0-924117-20-6}}

• [http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/a/ed_adamsWL.htm Encyclopedia Dickinsonia]

• [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000050 Biographical Directory of the United States Congress ]
• [http://www.russpickett.com/history/sentbio6.htm#adams Delaware's Members of Congress ]
• [http://chronicles.dickinson.edu/encyclo/a/ed_adamsWL.htm Encyclopedia Dickinsonia ].
• {{Find a Grave|9789239}}
• [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/adams9.html#R9M0INIB4 The Political Graveyard ]

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Category:1884 births

Category:1937 deaths

Category:Lawyers from Wilmington, Delaware

Category:Politicians from Wilmington, Delaware

Category:People from Georgetown, Delaware

Category:Dickinson College alumni

Category:University of Pennsylvania Law School alumni

Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Delaware

Category:Delaware postmasters

Category:20th-century American lawyers

Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives