DID YOU KNOW?
Tacoma’s story spans more than two centuries from the time Captain George Vancouver anchored off Tacoma’s north shore in 1792.
In 1870, Tacoma’s natural deep-water port became an attraction that the Northern Pacific Railroad couldn’t pass up, when it made Tacoma a stop on its transcontinental line.
Old Tacoma and New Tacoma merged in 1884 and incorporated as Tacoma. By 1890, the population reached 36,000 people.
Tacoma is home to the Port of Tacoma, the seventh-largest container port in the United States, and it is within 20 miles of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and 36 miles of the city of Seattle.
David Adams,
Upper School History, History Dept. Co-Chair
Dave Adams teaches U.S., European and Middle Eastern history in the Upper School. “I love my job and can’t imagine doing anything else with my life!” says Adams. “I particularly enjoy helping students understand the relevance of history to the world around them.”
Adams joined the faculty of Charles Wright in 1998. In addition to teaching, he serves as the history department co-chair and leads outdoor education and Winterim groups. He has also coached baseball and soccer.
“As a teacher, what really defines Charles Wright is that we are committed to giving students opportunities to push themselves intellectually, physically, and socially,” says Adams. “For me, that’s what the tenth grade backpacking trip is really about. As a group leader, I’ve seen how the kids responded in very unpredictable ways. Outside the routine of school and, for most, outside their comfort zone, outdoor education brings out parts of the students’ personalities that we may never see in the classroom or on the athletic fields.”
Adams graduated with bachelors degrees from Western Washington University and the University of Washington. He earned his masters degree and PhD in history from the University of Utah. His dissertation examined the economic development policies of Turkey during World War II and how they contributed to the formation of political parties in the immediate post-war period. He describes it as a real page turner with special emphasis on the Demokrat Party whose victory in the 1950 election marked the country's transition to a multi-party state, but it’s not on the syllabus for his European history course.
Adams enjoys doing volunteer work through his church, coaching, camping and traveling. He has two children attending Charles Wright and says his favorite moments at CWA are spent watching them run enthusiastically into school every day. Adams is the son of a former professional wrestler.
Visit his site
Adams joined the faculty of Charles Wright in 1998. In addition to teaching, he serves as the history department co-chair and leads outdoor education and Winterim groups. He has also coached baseball and soccer.
“As a teacher, what really defines Charles Wright is that we are committed to giving students opportunities to push themselves intellectually, physically, and socially,” says Adams. “For me, that’s what the tenth grade backpacking trip is really about. As a group leader, I’ve seen how the kids responded in very unpredictable ways. Outside the routine of school and, for most, outside their comfort zone, outdoor education brings out parts of the students’ personalities that we may never see in the classroom or on the athletic fields.”
Adams graduated with bachelors degrees from Western Washington University and the University of Washington. He earned his masters degree and PhD in history from the University of Utah. His dissertation examined the economic development policies of Turkey during World War II and how they contributed to the formation of political parties in the immediate post-war period. He describes it as a real page turner with special emphasis on the Demokrat Party whose victory in the 1950 election marked the country's transition to a multi-party state, but it’s not on the syllabus for his European history course.
Adams enjoys doing volunteer work through his church, coaching, camping and traveling. He has two children attending Charles Wright and says his favorite moments at CWA are spent watching them run enthusiastically into school every day. Adams is the son of a former professional wrestler.
Visit his site
