About the Donor
The Donor, Charles Francis Adams
Charles Francis Adams created the Charles F. and Beatrice D. Adams Charitable Trust in 1987. He was a dedicated civic leader, a respected businessman and an avid sailor.
Mr. Adams became president of Raytheon Company in 1948 after serving with the United States Navy in World War II, commanding destroyer escorts in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. He served as Raytheon’s chairman until 1975 and remained an active Director until his death in 1999, guiding the company’s growth and building its reputation as a leader in the electronics industry for over 50 years.
Charles Francis Adams was a dedicated civic leader, a respected businessman and an avid sailor.
Charles Francis Adams
He was a direct descendant of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and John Quincy Adams, the sixth President. He carried on the family legacy of public service with his gifts of time and funds to numerous civic and educational endeavors. Since he felt he fulfilled his obligations to the institutions he cared about deeply, including Harvard University, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and United Way of Massachusetts Bay, he instructed the Trustees to find new ways to carry on his legacy.