Robert Adamson (March 31, 1871 – September 19, 1935) was an American

journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

, banker, and public official. As Fire Commissioner of the City of New York, he proposed a modern

fire alarm system A fire alarm system is a building system designed to detect, alert occupants, and alert emergency forces of the presence of fire, smoke, carbon monoxide, or other fire-related emergencies. Fire alarm systems are required in most commercial buil ...

for the city.

Biography

Adamson was born on March 31, 1871, in

Clayton County, Georgia Clayton County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 297,595 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The county seat is Jonesboro. Clayton County is one of the core counties of the ...

, to Augustus Pitt Adamson and Martilla Ellen Cook. He began writing articles for the

Macon, Georgia Macon ( ), officially Macon–Bibb County, is a consolidated city-county in Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. Situated near the Atlantic Seaboard fall line, fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is southeast of Atlanta and near the ...

, newspaper while still in his teens. At age 20, he became city editor of the ''

Atlanta Constitution ''The Atlanta Journal-Constitution'' (''AJC'') is an American daily newspaper based in Atlanta metropolitan area, metropolitan area of Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The ''Atlanta Jo ...

''. He later moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and worked as a reporter for ''

The New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative Online newspaper, news website and former newspaper based in Manhattan, Manhattan, New York. From 2009 to 2021, it operated as an (occasional and erratic) onlin ...

'', the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 to 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers as a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publisher Jo ...

'', and the ''

Brooklyn Eagle The ''Brooklyn Eagle'' (originally joint name ''The Brooklyn Eagle'' and ''Kings County Democrat'', later ''The Brooklyn Daily Eagle'' before shortening title further to ''Brooklyn Eagle'') was an afternoon daily newspaper published in the city ...

''. He married Ethel McClintock on December 10, 1902, at Trinity Chapel in

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

. In 1910, Adamson became secretary to New York Mayor William Jay Gaynor, and gained fame by helping thwart an

assassination Assassination is the willful killing, by a sudden, secret, or planned attack, of a personespecially if prominent or important. It may be prompted by political, ideological, religious, financial, or military motives. Assassinations are orde ...

attempt on Gaynor. When Gaynor died in September 1910, Adamson continued as secretary to the new mayor, Ardolph Loges Kline. In 1914, he was campaign manager for

John Purroy Mitchel John Purroy Mitchel (July 19, 1879 – July 6, 1918) was the 95th mayor of New York, in office from 1914 to 1917. At 34, he was the second-youngest mayor of the city, and was sometimes referred to as the "Boy Mayor of New York". Mitchel won t ...

. In 1914 Mitchel appointed Adamson as the 9th Fire Commissioner of the City of New York. Adamson served in that position until the end of the Mitchel Administration on December 31, 1917. During his tenure he worked to have the entire department motorized. He also proposed a modern

for the city. Adamson unsuccessfully ran for the New York Board of

Aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...

in 1917. He then left politics to work in banking and public relations. He died of a heart attack in

Manhattan, New York City Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the smallest county by area in the U.S. state of New York. Located almost entire ...

, on September 19, 1935.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Adamson, Robert 1871 births 1935 deaths Commissioners of the New York City Fire Department Editors of Georgia (U.S. state) newspapers