Kenneth Stanley "Bud" Adams, Jr. (January 3, 1923 – October 21, 2013) was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Tennessee Titans, a National Football League (NFL) franchise. A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally made his fortune in the petroleum business, Adams was chairman and CEO of Adams Resources & Energy Inc., a wholesale supplier of oil and natural gas. He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League (AFL).[1]
Adams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the current Titans franchise, which was originally known as the Houston Oilers. He was the senior owner (by time) with his team in the National Football League, a few months ahead of Buffalo Bills' owner Ralph Wilson. Adams also was one of the owners of the Houston Mavericks of the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the owner of the second Nashville Kats franchise of the Arena Football League (AFL). He was elected to the American Football League Hall of Fame, an online site, but as of 2023 is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, despite several nominations and an ongoing effort to make him such.
Adams had many other business interests in the Houston area, including owning several Lincoln-Mercury automobile franchises.
Born in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on January 3, 1923, Adams was the son of K. S. "Boots" Adams and Blanch Keeler Adams. He became an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation by virtue of his maternal line. Two of his great-grandmothers were Cherokee women who married European-American men: Nelson Carr and George B. Keeler, who played roles in trade and oil in early Oklahoma. Keeler drilled the first commercial oil well, near the Caney River.[2]
Adams's father succeeded the founder Frank Phillips as president of Phillips Petroleum Company in 1939.[3] Adams's uncle William Wayne Keeler, CEO of Phillips Petroleum Company for years, was appointed Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation by U.S. President Harry S. Truman in 1949 and served through 1971, when the Cherokee were allowed to hold their own elections. Keeler was then democratically elected and served until 1975.[4] Adams's ancestors include other prominent Cherokee leaders.[2]
Adams soon became interested in owning an NFL team. In 1959, Adams and fellow Texas oilman Lamar Hunt tried to buy the struggling and insolvent Chicago Cardinals and move them to Texas.[1]
The Houston Oilers and the Astrodome
Adams and the other AFL owners received a tremendous boost in credibility and net worth in 1966 with the merger of the AFL with and into the NFL. It was effective with the 1970 season. In 1968 Adams moved his team into the Astrodome, which since 1965 had been the home of the Houston Astros of baseball's National League (incidentally, Adams was one of the original part-owners of the team for the 1962 season) [6]
Houston vs. Adams
By the mid-1990s, several NFL teams had new stadiums built largely or entirely with public funding, and several more deals had been agreed to. These new venues featured amenities such as "club seating" and other potential revenue streams that were not part of the NFL's default revenue-sharing arrangements. Due to this, Adams began to lobby MayorBob Lanier for a new stadium. However, Lanier turned down the request almost out of hand. Lanier knew that Houstonians were not willing to spend money for a brand-new stadium less than a decade after helping pay for heavily renovating the Astrodome.[7]
Sports career in Tennessee
Tennessee Oilers
Despite the problems, Adams initially intended to stick it out. But, only one game, the finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers, attracted a larger crowd than could have been accommodated at Vanderbilt. Although 50,677 people showed up, the crowd appeared to be composed of at least half, and as many as three-fourths, Steeler fans.[8]
Tennessee Titans
Adams was fined $250,000 by the NFL for this act of displaying an obscene gesture at the Titans/Bills game on November 15, 2009.
On November 15, 2009, Adams was caught on video displaying an obscene gesture towards the Buffalo bench after the Titans routed the Bills 41-14. Commissioner Roger Goodell, who happened to be attending the game, fined him $250,000. Afterwards, Adams remarked "Oh, I knew I was going to get in trouble for that. I was just so happy we won."[9]
He attended River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston. He and his wife Nancy Neville Adams were married for 62 years, until her death in February 2009 at the age of 84.[10] They had two daughters, Susan and Amy, and a son, Kenneth S. Adams III, each of whom (and their children) are registered Cherokee. Their son died in June 1987 at the age of 29 from apparent suicide.[11]
Death
Adams died of natural causes at his home in Houston at age 90 in 2013. His body was found in his River Oaks home after police were called for a welfare check.[12]
At the time of his death, Adams's 409 wins were the most of any current NFL owner. He gained his 400th career victory in the 2011 season finale when his Titans defeated the team which replaced his Oilers in Houston, the Texans. His franchise made 21 playoff appearances in 53 seasons, eighth among NFL teams since 1960. In championship game appearances, his team reached the AFL Championship four times (1960-1962, 1967) and the AFC Championship Game four times (1978, 1979, 1999, 2002) with just one Super Bowl appearance (1999).[12]
^ abMaule, Tex (January 25, 1960). . Sports Illustrated: 49. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 23, 2014.
^ abc"History Museum receives generous gift", Examiner-Enterprise, November 20, 2004, accessed November 21, 2009
^Phillips: The First 66 Years, Oklahoma: Phillips Petroleum Company, 1983
^Denson, Andrew (2004). Demanding the Cherokee Nation: Indian autonomy and American culture, 1830-1900. U of Nebraska Press. p. 249. ISBN978-0-8032-1726-3.
^(PDF). KUAthletics.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 6, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
^Animosity toward Adams/Poll indicates Oilers' boss is own worst enemy. "The Houston Chronicle". Retrieved May 17, 2012.
^Bouchette, Dan. Steelers-Oilers/Titans rivalry plays its final act in Pittsburgh under the Monday night spotlight. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 29, 2001.
^"Adams draws $250K fine from NFL", ESPN News service, November 16, 2009, accessed November 21, 2009
^"Nancy Adams dies at 84". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved February 2, 2009.
^"Son of Oilers' owner Bud Adams Jr. dead from gunshot wound in apparent suicide" December 22, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Houston Chronicle, June 27, 1987, accessed February 3, 2009
^ abAssociated Press (October 21, 2013) "Titans owner Bud Adams remembered as pioneer, innovator October 21, 2013, at the Wayback Machine". khou.com. Retrieved May 1, 2014.
External links
June 26, 2023
adams, kenneth, stanley, adams, january, 1923, october, 2013, american, businessman, founder, owner, tennessee, titans, national, football, league, franchise, member, cherokee, nation, originally, made, fortune, petroleum, business, adams, chairman, adams, res. Kenneth Stanley Bud Adams Jr January 3 1923 October 21 2013 was an American businessman who was the founder and owner of the Tennessee Titans a National Football League NFL franchise A member of the Cherokee Nation who originally made his fortune in the petroleum business Adams was chairman and CEO of Adams Resources amp Energy Inc a wholesale supplier of oil and natural gas He was instrumental in the founding and establishment of the former American Football League AFL 1 Bud AdamsAdams in 1964Personal informationBorn 1923 01 03 January 3 1923Bartlesville Oklahoma U S Died 2013 10 21 October 21 2013 aged 90 Houston Texas U S Career informationCollege KansasCareer historyAs an executive Houston Tennessee Oilers Titans 1960 2013 Founder Owner Houston Mavericks 1967 1969 Founder Owner Nashville Kats 2005 2007 Founder OwnerCareer highlights and awards2 AFL champion 1960 1961 Titans Oilers Ring of Honor Texas Sports Hall of FameBud AdamsAllegiance United StatesService wbr branch United States NavyRankLieutenant junior gradeBattles warsWorld War II Pacific TheaterAdams became a charter AFL owner with the establishment of the current Titans franchise which was originally known as the Houston Oilers He was the senior owner by time with his team in the National Football League a few months ahead of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson Adams also was one of the owners of the Houston Mavericks of the American Basketball Association ABA and the owner of the second Nashville Kats franchise of the Arena Football League AFL He was elected to the American Football League Hall of Fame an online site but as of 2023 is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite several nominations and an ongoing effort to make him such Adams had many other business interests in the Houston area including owning several Lincoln Mercury automobile franchises Contents 1 Early life 2 Sports career in Houston 2 1 Early career in the American Football League 2 2 The Houston Oilers and the Astrodome 2 2 1 Houston vs Adams 3 Sports career in Tennessee 3 1 Tennessee Oilers 3 2 Tennessee Titans 4 Personal life 4 1 Death 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksEarly life EditBorn in Bartlesville Oklahoma on January 3 1923 Adams was the son of K S Boots Adams and Blanch Keeler Adams He became an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation by virtue of his maternal line Two of his great grandmothers were Cherokee women who married European American men Nelson Carr and George B Keeler who played roles in trade and oil in early Oklahoma Keeler drilled the first commercial oil well near the Caney River 2 Adams s father succeeded the founder Frank Phillips as president of Phillips Petroleum Company in 1939 3 Adams s uncle William Wayne Keeler CEO of Phillips Petroleum Company for years was appointed Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation by U S President Harry S Truman in 1949 and served through 1971 when the Cherokee were allowed to hold their own elections Keeler was then democratically elected and served until 1975 4 Adams s ancestors include other prominent Cherokee leaders 2 Adams graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1940 after lettering in three sports After a brief stint at Menlo College he transferred to the University of Kansas KU where he played briefly on the varsity football team as he completed an engineering degree In his lone season on the Jayhawk football team he was a teammate of politician Bob Dole 5 Sports career in Houston EditEarly career in the American Football League Edit Adams soon became interested in owning an NFL team In 1959 Adams and fellow Texas oilman Lamar Hunt tried to buy the struggling and insolvent Chicago Cardinals and move them to Texas 1 The Houston Oilers and the Astrodome Edit Adams and the other AFL owners received a tremendous boost in credibility and net worth in 1966 with the merger of the AFL with and into the NFL It was effective with the 1970 season In 1968 Adams moved his team into the Astrodome which since 1965 had been the home of the Houston Astros of baseball s National League incidentally Adams was one of the original part owners of the team for the 1962 season 6 Houston vs Adams Edit By the mid 1990s several NFL teams had new stadiums built largely or entirely with public funding and several more deals had been agreed to These new venues featured amenities such as club seating and other potential revenue streams that were not part of the NFL s default revenue sharing arrangements Due to this Adams began to lobby Mayor Bob Lanier for a new stadium However Lanier turned down the request almost out of hand Lanier knew that Houstonians were not willing to spend money for a brand new stadium less than a decade after helping pay for heavily renovating the Astrodome 7 Sports career in Tennessee EditTennessee Oilers Edit Despite the problems Adams initially intended to stick it out But only one game the finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers attracted a larger crowd than could have been accommodated at Vanderbilt Although 50 677 people showed up the crowd appeared to be composed of at least half and as many as three fourths Steeler fans 8 Tennessee Titans Edit Adams was fined 250 000 by the NFL for this act of displaying an obscene gesture at the Titans Bills game on November 15 2009 On November 15 2009 Adams was caught on video displaying an obscene gesture towards the Buffalo bench after the Titans routed the Bills 41 14 Commissioner Roger Goodell who happened to be attending the game fined him 250 000 Afterwards Adams remarked Oh I knew I was going to get in trouble for that I was just so happy we won 9 Personal life EditAdams was an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation He had served on the executive committee of the Cherokee National Historical Society 2 He attended River Oaks Baptist Church in Houston He and his wife Nancy Neville Adams were married for 62 years until her death in February 2009 at the age of 84 10 They had two daughters Susan and Amy and a son Kenneth S Adams III each of whom and their children are registered Cherokee Their son died in June 1987 at the age of 29 from apparent suicide 11 Death Edit Adams died of natural causes at his home in Houston at age 90 in 2013 His body was found in his River Oaks home after police were called for a welfare check 12 At the time of his death Adams s 409 wins were the most of any current NFL owner He gained his 400th career victory in the 2011 season finale when his Titans defeated the team which replaced his Oilers in Houston the Texans His franchise made 21 playoff appearances in 53 seasons eighth among NFL teams since 1960 In championship game appearances his team reached the AFL Championship four times 1960 1962 1967 and the AFC Championship Game four times 1978 1979 1999 2002 with just one Super Bowl appearance 1999 12 See also Edit Biography portal World War II portalList of American Football League playersReferences Edit a b Maule Tex January 25 1960 The shaky new league Sports Illustrated 49 Archived from the original on February 3 2014 Retrieved January 23 2014 a b c History Museum receives generous gift Examiner Enterprise November 20 2004 accessed November 21 2009 Phillips The First 66 Years Oklahoma Phillips Petroleum Company 1983 Denson Andrew 2004 Demanding the Cherokee Nation Indian autonomy and American culture 1830 1900 U of Nebraska Press p 249 ISBN 978 0 8032 1726 3 KU Football rosters 1940 1949 PDF KUAthletics com Archived from the original PDF on April 6 2018 Retrieved April 5 2018 K S Bud Adams Jr Animosity toward Adams Poll indicates Oilers boss is own worst enemy The Houston Chronicle Retrieved May 17 2012 Bouchette Dan Steelers Oilers Titans rivalry plays its final act in Pittsburgh under the Monday night spotlight Pittsburgh Post Gazette November 29 2001 Adams draws 250K fine from NFL ESPN News service November 16 2009 accessed November 21 2009 Nancy Adams dies at 84 Houston Chronicle Retrieved February 2 2009 Son of Oilers owner Bud Adams Jr dead from gunshot wound in apparent suicide Archived December 22 2007 at the Wayback Machine Houston Chronicle June 27 1987 accessed February 3 2009 a b Associated Press October 21 2013 Titans owner Bud Adams remembered as pioneer innovator Archived October 21 2013 at the Wayback Machine khou com Retrieved May 1 2014 External links EditTennessee Titans bio Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bud Adams amp oldid 1159093304, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
