Andrew Adams served as the Upper Mattaponi chief from 1974 until his death in 1985. Born in King William County, Adams attended the Sharon Indian School and served in the U.S. Army during World War II (1939–1945). He then lived in Philadelphia until 1974, when his father, chief since 1923, died. Adams was elected leader of the tribe, reformed its government, and helped obtain a charter incorporating the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribal Association. The tribe received state recognition just before Adams’s death in 1985.
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