Alvin P. Adams Sr.

Alvin P. Adams Sr. was an American aviation executive.

Early life and education Adams was born to a banker from Maryland and grew up in Colorado. He was educated at Yale University. During his Yale years, he was known to visit New York's "21" Club and other jazz venues. Concurrently, he socialized with Howard Hughes and W. C. Fields. He was also a co-founder of Conquistadores del Cielo, a group of senior aviation executives known for their discreet gatherings.

In later years, he led multiple aviation companies and settled as a consultant in New York until 1951. Subsequently, his Yale acquaintance, Juan Trippe, the founder of Pan Am, appointed him as a senior vice president. While he was responsible for the airline's Pacific division, he was also instrumental in the creation of Pan Am's New York building behind Grand Central Terminal, which housed the Sky Club.

Personal life Adams, who was married and divorced twice. After his 1929 marriage to Elizabeth Miller, daughter of former New York Governor Nathan L. Miller, Adams had a presence on Long Island's North Shore.

Adams had two sons, Nathan and Alvin Jr., and two daughters, Edith Kiggen and Helen Vollmer. He died on Oct. 2 at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan in 1996, at the age of 90.