NCHSAA release
A new award recognizing long-time North Carolina
High School Athletic Association executive director Charlie Adams was
approved by the NCHSAA Board of Directors at its spring meeting.
The announcement of a new scholarship fund, the Charlie Adams
Endowed Scholarship, was first made at the NCHSAA Annual Meeting last
month,
month,
where the initial gifts to the fund were received.
The immediate goal of the endowed fund is to raise $25,000 by
the end of this calendar year and to offer two scholarships. One would be
to
to
a male wrestler in memory of Charlie№s son Scott, and one would be to
a
a
female cross-country runner in honor of Charlie№s daughter Michelle
Adams
Adams
Szwajkun.
The first two awards are planned for the 2010 NCHSAA Annual
Meeting, with the scholarship amount to be determined annually based
on
on
interest earned by the fund.
The hope is to grow the endowed
scholarship
scholarship
fund to enable the NCHSAA to give two $1,500 scholarships annually.
Criteria and nomination materials are currently being developed
but will include participation in the specific sport, scholarship,
sportsmanship and leadership.
Gifts may be made to the NCHSAA Endowment Fund/Charlie Adams
Endowed Scholarship, and questions may be directed to NCHSAA
assistant
assistant
executive director Karen DeHart.
Adams has been on the NCHSAA staff since 1967 and is one of the
longest-tenured executive directors in association work in the
country,
country,
taking over that role in 1984.
A native of Cary, where he was a great high school athlete,
Adams is only the fifth executive director in the 95-year history of
the
the
NCHSAA.
Adams earned his undergraduate and his master's degree at East
Carolina University, where he was an outstanding basketball player.
Following his graduation from ECU, he coached and taught in Laurel,
Delaware, before returning to Wake County.
He compiled a brilliant record as a coach at Cary High School
and then was assistant principal, dean of men and athletic director
at
at
Garner High before joining the NCHSAA.
He is a 1991 inductee into the East Carolina University Sports
Hall of Fame and a charter member of the Cary High School Athletic Hall
of
of
Fame. He is also a member of the North Carolina Athletic Directors Hall
of
of
Fame, the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and the National High
School
School
Sports Hall of Fame.
Adams was inducted into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame in April. He is also
the only North Carolinian ever to serve as president of the National
Federation of State High School Associations.
