The Donor
Charles Francis Adams
Charles Francis Adams created the C. F. Adams Charitable Trust in 1987. He was a direct
descendant of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and John Quincy Adams,
the sixth President. He was an avid sailor, dedicated civic leader and respected businessman.
Following his service with the U. S. Navy commanding destroyer escorts in World War II, he
became president of Raytheon Company in 1948. He served as chairman of the company
headquartered in Massachusetts until 1975 and was a Director for a total of 55 years, guiding
Raytheon's diversified growth and building its reputation as a leader in the electronics industry.
In both his business and civic involvements, Mr. Adams not only embraced change but actively
encouraged it. He was committed to building sound institutions and strengthening communities.
He instinctively recognized that talented leaders need backing, both financial and moral, to move
their institutions forward, to utilize the latest technologies and research, and to never settle
for anything less than the best. He was a strong proponent of ethics in business and advocated
maintaining a sense of balance among government, business, and labor to sustain a vibrant American
society. As an active volunteer in the Greater Boston community, he played a leadership role in
many nonprofit institutions and encouraged others to commit their expertise, time and resources.
He understood the dynamics of organizations and the complex relationships of the people within them,
and he quietly found ways to build bridges where often none existed.
Mr. Adams contributed substantial gifts of time and funds to the many institutions he cared deeply
about — in particular, his alma mater Harvard University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the Cotting
School for disabled children, United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Tufts Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, and the USS Constitution
Museum. He indicated to the trustees of the C. F. Adams Charitable Trust, however, that
he had honored his obligations to those institutions in his lifetime, but he wanted the Trust to carry
on his commitment to enriching lives, backing talent, engaging volunteers, improving communities and
demanding quality. With his death in 1999, the Trustees now seek to carry on that legacy through the
work of the C. F. Adams Charitable Trust.
More about the Adams family...
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