TEMPLE, Texas — The Temple Independent School District will dedicate the Temple High School library in honor of long-time district employee Mary Stroube Adams for her service to TISD students during a special ceremony next week. The dedication ceremony will be held Wednesday, June 7th, at 5:00 p.m. in the Temple High School library and the public is invited to attend.
Adams worked as a teacher and administrator in Temple ISD for 45 years, spending much of that time in advanced academics. She taught English and Humanities classes at THS. Adams helped initiate honors courses at the high school, which would evolve in Advanced Placement courses, Dual Credit classes in conjunction with Temple College, and International Baccalaureate courses. She would then go on to serve in a variety of administrative positions coordinating K-12 gifted education, Language Arts and Social Studies. Adams also served as an interim principal at Temple High School, as well as Curriculum Coordinator and Dean of Instruction and Campus Site-Based Facilitator. Adams continued to teach at least three hours a day, even while serving as an administrator. She stayed involved with Temple ISD after her retirement, teaching AP and IB English classes part-time, mentoring elementary students and writing hundreds of recommendation letters for Temple students. Adams also served with the Temple Education Foundation. The Temple High School Class of 2000 honored Adams with the creation of the Mary S. Adams Award. That award recognizes someone who made a significant impact at THS through their service and the winner is nominated and voted on by the senior class.
“Mary Adams was an extraordinary person and teacher. She inspired, shaped and guided her students during her long tenure at Temple High School,” said Dan Posey, president of the Temple ISD board of trustees and a former student of Adams. “As a former student of Mrs. Adams, I am pleased that the Temple Board of Trustees chose to dedicate the high school library in her honor. A library that is filled with knowledge is the perfect way to remember her.”
“Mary’s family is very grateful to the Temple ISD Board of Trustees for honoring her in such a special way,” added Anne Adams, daughter of Mary Adams. “We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to every former student and colleague who made teaching the great joy of her life.”
Adams was nominated by a former student through the district’s facility naming process and the TISD policy committee and board of trustees approved dedicating the library in her honor in March of 2023, Adams and her husband, Dr. Louis Adams, had three children, who all graduated from Temple schools. The couple continued to support everything Temple and Temple ISD after their retirement. Mary Stroube Adams passed away in July of 2021.
Jan Ward submitted the facility naming nomination for Mrs. Adams and referenced the impact she made on the students and staff of Temple High School, as well as the district as a whole, in her nomination, saying, “Those who worked alongside Mary Adams became better educators by her example. She was masterful at pinpointing what needed to change to improve the learning experience for students and fearless about articulating those needs to anyone. Her students never forgot her or her valuable lessons about how to live and how to treat others.”
Those attending the ceremony are encouraged to park and enter through the Career and Technical Education entrance on the north side of the THS campus.