Kenneth Adams Jr. was an American entrepreneur. Born on January 3, 1923, he founded Adams Resources & Energy and later became the owner of Tennessee Titans, a National Football League franchisee.
Fast Facts
Name –> Kenneth Adams Jr.
Nickname –> Buds
Birth Date –> January 3, 1923
Died –> October 21, 2013 (Age: 90)
Birth Place –> Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Father –> Kenneth Stanley “Boots” Adams (Former President and CEO of Phillips Petroleum)
Education
College –> Menlo College, University of Kansas
Degree –> Engineering
Kenneth Adams Jr. was the son of the president of the former Phillips Petroleum. He attended Menlo College and later transferred to the University of Kansas where he finished an engineering degree. In college, he was a varsity football player. During World War II, he served in the US Navy, rising to the rank of lieutenant before his discharge in 1946.
Kenneth settled in Houston, Texas after the war. He founded the ADA Oil Company which initially engaged in wildcat exploration and later trading and transporting of oil and chemicals. In 1974, he renamed the company Adams Resources and Energy. Later that year, he listed it on the New York Stock Exchange.
As an avid sports player and enthusiast, Kenneth was instrumental in the formation of American Football League (AFL) in 1959, together with Lamar Hunt. In 1970, AFL was merged with the National Football League (NFL). He has been the owner of Houston Oilers since 1959. After a dispute with Houston authorities, he moved the team to Tennessee in 1997 and renamed it Titans. In his 54 years as team owner, he had become an enduring figure in the history of professional sports.
Buds died in 2013 at the age of 90. He had three children with his wife Nancy whom he married for 62 years. Aside from his ownership of the petroleum company and sports team, he had also invested in Texan ranches, Californian farms and car dealership and leasing.
https://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/10/billionaires-2010_Kenneth-Adams-Jr_S99N.html