In 1945, Adams moved to Tacoma, Washington, and opened an office there.[2] Active in the wider chiropractor community, Adams was legislative chairman and later president of the Washington Chiropractors Association.[3] He was elected president of the American Chiropractic Association in 1965 and served one term.[4][2] Adams was also vice president of the International Chiropractors Association for some time.[1] He retired from private practice in 1973.[5]
Adams began his political career in 1960 as a member of the Tacoma Utility Board. A Democrat, he was first elected to the Washington House of Representatives in 1968, defeating the Republican nominee by a 52–48 margin, with a campaign heavily focusing on pension issues.[6][7] One of his first actions in the House was to cosponsor a bill banning the carry of "dangerous weapons" at protests.[8] The bill was initially contested due to unclear language, however, it was passed unanimously when the Seattle Black Panthers announced their intention to protest the bill.[9][10] He supported the 1970 legislation which legalized abortion in Washington.[11]
Adams ran for reelection in 1970. While he won the primary, he had a lower vote total than his Republican opponents.[12] He won the general election, again by a 52–48 margin.[13][14] He was a cosponsor of the law which introduced mandatory vehicle insurance in Washington.[15] In 1972, the redistricting process placed him in the 27th district, where he defeated Dennis Flannigan in a close primary.[16][17] He went on to win reelection to a third term by a 67–33 margin and was made chair of the House Social and Health Services Committee.[18][19] At 72 years old, Adams was the oldest representative in Washington.[20]
In 1974, he sponsored the Senior Services Act, which created a Meals on Wheels program.[5] He also led a probe into escapes at Western State Hospital, which quickly expanded to cover security at all state institutions and a variety of other issues.[21][22] Adams beat his opponent in the primary and won the general election 66–34.[23][24] He opposed the 1976 effort to remove Leonard A. Sawyer from his position of Speaker of the House.[25] That same year, he won election for his fifth term 62–38.[26]
Adams sponsored a "Death with Dignity" bill in 1977 that would have legalized a form of assisted suicide in Washington.[27] He also supported a bill to decriminalize marijuana and a bill to legalize the prescription of Laetrile.[28][29] He supported decriminalization of marijuana again the following year, saying that "We need to send Washington, D.C., a message."[30] He won re-election 65–35.[31]
In 1979, Adams continued to push for assisted suicide and marijuana legislation, successfully passing both bills through the House.[32][33] He also cosponsored a bill creating a state lottery, although this did not ultimately pass.[34][35] In May, Adams received criticism for taking a two-week vacation to Hawaii because his absence gave the Republicans a one-vote majority in the House, with an editorial in The News Tribune describing him as being "out of bounds."[36][37] The following year, Adams opted to not run for reelection, citing a need to spend time with his family.[5] He was succeeded by fellow Democrat Art Wang, who defeated his Republican opponent 71–29.[38]
Adams was married to Mildred S. Adams (1899–1993), a music and art teacher, on August 22, 1923.[2][39] They had one child together.[39] He was a Shriner.[40] Adams supported the legalization of greyhound racing.[41] Late in his political career, Adams was arrested for driving while intoxicated.[42]
Adams died on May 31, 1985.[40] His wife, Mildred, died on March 21, 1993.[39]
