Frio Building renamed in memory of Adamsons

Posted by University News Service

May 13, 2010

The Frio Building at Texas State University-San Marcos has been renamed in memory of William W. and Elizabeth Adamson whose estate included a bequest to establish a scholarship endowment for ROTC students at the university.

The Adamsons bequeathed $380,000 to Texas State to be used to support scholarships for Army or Air Force ROTC students who are the children of active duty or retired Army or Air Force personnel. The gift is the largest ever to the ROTC programs at Texas State.

The William W. and Elizabeth Adamson ROTC Building is home to Texas State’s Army ROTC program in the Department of Military Science. The Air Force ROTC program is housed at the Hines Academic Center in the Department of Aerospace Studies.

Speaking at a building renaming ceremony on Thursday, May 13, Texas State President Denise Trauth called the Adamsons “a couple whose memory we cherish.”

“We wanted to honor them in a fitting manner, and renaming the ROTC Building was the obvious way to do that,” said Trauth.

William Adamson earned business degrees from Texas State in 1974 and 1975. After retiring from the Air Force as a chief master sergeant, he returned to Texas State to take classes in aerospace studies. He died in 1989.

Elizabeth Adamson was the daughter of a U.S. Army master sergeant in the Fifth Cavalry. She died in 2009.

The Adamson Building came to Texas State in 1979 when the university purchased the San Marcos Baptist Academy campus. Before 1979, it was known as the Saber. After 1979, it was called The Den and then the Frio Building.