C. Nathan Adams passed away on December 27, 2023 at the age of 84.
He was born in 1939 in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama, the son of Clarence Douglas Adams and Ruby Viola McDaniel Adams. He is preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 27 years, Matha Drake Adams, and his brother, Clarence Douglas Adams, Jr.
In August 1940 his family moved from Woodlawn to Shades Mountain, now Vestavia Hills, Alabama, where his father had built a two-room house for them. He attended Shades Cahaba school in Homewood for grades 1-4, Vestavia Hills Elementary School for grades 5 and 6, and Shades Cahaba School for grades 7 and 8. He attended Indian Springs School, a boarding school for exceptional boys, until he left to attend David Lipscomb College at age 16. He then transferred to and graduated from Abilene Christian College in January 1961. He received his Master of Science degree in Commerce from the University of Alabama in 1963 and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Alabama in 1975.
Dr. Adams was an instructor in the College of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of Alabama from 1963 to 1970, an Assistant Professor at Georgia Southern College from 1970-1975, and a Full Professor at Middle Tennessee State University from 1975-2010, where he taught statistics and computer information systems. After retirement he taught as an adjunct professor at MTSU from 2010 to 2013, completing 50 years of teaching in higher education. In addition to teaching in higher education, he worked closely with the Alabama Lung Association in their early efforts to use computer technology to diagnose and treat tuberculosis. He also helped support technology for aerospace, served as an expert trial witness in the field of statistics, ran a non-profit board for an organization supporting high school students, and was a devoted husband and father. He was an avid reader and also loved to travel, both throughout the United States and internationally. Dr. Adams was a lifelong member of the church of Christ.
Dr. Adams is survived by his three children, Dr. Matha A. Warren (Frank), Dr. Juliette A. Webb (John), and Dr. Charles N. Adams, Jr.
Visitation will be Friday, December 29, 2023 at Woodfin Memorial Chapel from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. The funeral service will be Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 9:00am at Woodfin Memorial Chapel preceded by a short visitation. A graveside service for the family will be at Hillcrest Cemetery, Haleyville, Alabama.
