Henry Adams

Henry Adams (February 11, 1858 – December 9, 1929 ) was an American mechanical engineer. He emigrated at age 22 to Baltimore from Duisburg, Kingdom of Prussia, having been educated as a building engineer. He later worked with the District of Columbia government buildings, and established a longstanding private practice in Baltimore, Maryland.

Public life

In Baltimore, he first worked for builder Benjamin F. Bennett. In 1886, he became a heating and ventilating engineer with the Office of the Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury. In 1894 he joined the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE) as one of 75 charter members. He served on the organization's Compulsory Legislation committee. He later served as ASHVE president (from 1899 to 1900), on the board of managers, and participated on their council.

He was president of the board of the Maryland Institute in Baltimore, currently known as the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). He taught at the institute for 12 years then he participated as a board member and later as president of the board (until his death 45 years later). As a federal engineer, he designed the mechanical system for Ellis Island. He oversaw mechanical equipment design for the Peking Union Medical College in China, and designed equipment for the Masonic temple in Manila.

Henry Adams scholarship A college scholarship was established by the firm, Henry Adams, LLC, in the memory of Adams. The endowment is coordinated by ASHRAE.