Terry Adamson (2007) became Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Henry Luce Foundation in June 2022, along with fellow Director Debra Knopman. Adamson was a Luce Scholar in Tokyo, Japan in 1975–76 and a frequent selector of Luce Scholars. He retired as Vice President of Global Law Affairs and General Counsel of Boeing International in October, 2020. He previously served as Executive Vice President of the National Geographic Society from 1998-2015. He functioned as the Chief Legal Officer, Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Senior Advisor to the President and CEO, and head of International Publishing. He was a member of the Board of the National Geographic Education Foundation, as well as a member of Board of National Geographic Ventures, the Society’s taxable subsidiary, since early 1996. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Asia Foundation since 1985 and served as Chairman of its Board of Trustees from 1995–2000. He is a member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Carter Center, since its inception. He has served as personal attorney of President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter since 1981. He represented the Carters on the U.S. Archivist’s Presidential Library Advisory Board for many years. By appointments of two U.S. Presidents (George H.W. Bush and William J. Clinton) and Senate confirmations, he served on the Board of Directors of the State Justice Institute from 1990–2010. A partner of prominent law firms in Atlanta and Washington for many years, he was a senior official of the U.S. Department of Justice from 1977–1979. He was a Law Clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Griffin B. Bell on the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals from 1973–1975. He was a staff reporter for The Atlanta Constitution for two years from 1969–1971. He completed his B.A. (History) in 1968 and his J.D. in 1973 (with honors) from Emory University. On the occasion of Emory’s 175th year, he was named one of Emory’s 175 history makers. He is married to Ede Holiday, and has three children.
Co-Chair of the Board (2022-present)