Close
Standing third from the left is William H. “Billy” Adams, the founder of Adams State University. Born in Wisconsin in 1861, at the age of ten he came west with his family; his brother George had tuberculosis and the family thought the Colorado climate would improve his health. Sadly, George died in 1873. Billy’s parents returned to Wisconsin, but Billy and his brother Alva stayed. A ranch hand in his youth, Billy Adams was self-educated, studying law, history, government, economics, and politics in his spare time. Elected Alamosa City Treasurer, he then became mayor and in 1883 was elected Conejos County Commissioner. The year this photo was taken he was elected to the Colorado State Legislature as a representative. He remained involved in Colorado politics and in 1926 was elected Colorado’s thirty-eighth governor. In total he served Colorado as a public servant for fifty years.