WILMINGTON — Michael Scott ‘Mike’ Adams, 55, passed away Thursday, July 23, 2020.
Mike was born Oct. 30, 1964, in Columbus, Mississippi, the son of the late Joe Dee Adams Jr. and Julia Marilyn Rester Adams.
Mike’s teenage years were lived with a love for soccer and music. Although an injury derailed his goalie career, he was skilled enough musically to pay his way through college and postgraduate education by playing guitar in a duet. Upon earning his doctorate at Mississippi State University, Mike became a criminology professor at UNC-Wilmington as a staunch atheist and liberal. After seeing the mistreatment of prisoners while doing criminology research in a South American prison, Mike realized that there must be an objective standard of good by which we could make sense of evil and injustice. This helped lead him to Christianity, which dramatically changed his outlook.
As his books and columns became more conservative, Mike found that the university began to deny him promotions, even though he was continually rated very highly by students. The case went all the way to the United States Fourth Circuit Court
of Appeals, where Mike won a jury judgment that continues to protect the free speech of professors to this day.
Over the years, Dr. Adams also taught over 15,000 students at Summit Ministries and several other venues. He was the author of several academic papers, hundreds of columns and three books, including the most recent, Letters to a Young Progressive: How to Avoid Wasting Your Life Protesting Things You Don’t Understand.
Mike wrote and spoke in support of the unborn and debated outspoken abortion advocates. Several children are known to be alive today because of his work. Mike was widely admired for his direct and often satirical approach to issues, but also viciously attacked by his political opponents. Mike loved people, and he defended the rights of all of them to speak their minds. Our country has lost a bold advocate for freedom and truth, but he will not be forgotten. We grieve that Mike is absent from his body but rejoice that he’s now “present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8).
Surviving are his brother, David Adams, and his wife, Laura, of Lake Saint, Missouri; fiance of Charlotte; niece, Kayla Adams of Colorado Springs, Colorado; nephew, Kevin Adams of Kansas City, Missouri; and uncles, John Rester, and his wife, Carrie, of Gulfport, Mississippi, and Jim Rester, and his wife, Martha, of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
A private burial service will be held. Public memorial services will be announced at a later date.
Share online condolences with the family at Wilmington Funeral & Cremation.
