ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Former University of Georgia President Michael Adams died Sunday at 77 years old after a brief illness, the school announced.

Adams served as the school’s 21st president from 1997 to 2013, a period marked by significant growth in enrollment, faculty expansion, increased fundraising and a larger campus footprint, alongside broad improvements in academic quality, UGA said in the announcement.

“I am deeply saddened to learn of President Adams’ passing, and on behalf of the University of Georgia community, I want to express my sincere condolences to Mary, David and Taylor, and their entire family,” UGA President Jere W. Morehead said. “When Dr. Adams became president, he outlined an ambitious vision for the future of our great institution, and during his 16-year tenure, he implemented that vision and elevated the national reputation of UGA in so many positive ways.

“I will always be grateful for his service to the University of Georgia and his unwavering commitment to advancing our mission.”

Adams’ tenure at UGA made a significant impact on the university’s trajectory. For his efforts, Adams earned the Knight Foundation Award for Presidential Leadership, the Pioneer Award for Leadership in Civil Rights, and the James T. Rogers Award, among others.

By the end of his tenure, his signature appeared on around 110,000 degrees, accounting for nearly half of UGA’s living alumni.

Gov. Brian Kemp released a statement on X regarding Adams.

“Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the loss of former UGA President Michael Adams,” the statement read. “President Adams’ leadership helped usher in a new era for our state’s flagship university, cementing its place as one of the top public universities in the nation. We send our deepest condolences to the Adams family during this time.”

During his final State of the University address in 2013, Adams reflected on his presidency and the deeper meaning of the institution’s progress.

“This is about more than numbers. It is about people, about opportunity, about the power of education to improve both an individual’s life and the community in which he or she lives. It’s about transformation,” Adams said in the address. “I believe in this place; I believe in higher education; I believe in the power of education to change lives. I’m exhibit A of that, and it has given me an opportunity to represent the institution and move it forward.”

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