Harvey W. Adams Jr.

The badge belonged to Harvey Adams Jr., who was a civil rights icon and a member of the police force in Pittsburgh. He went to West Virginia State College where he met William Moore then a student as well, who became the first black police chief in Pittsburgh. He served in the Korean War, attained his undergraduate degree, and attended law school briefly for two years. He then started work as a social worker and finally joined the Pittsburgh Police Force in 1955. He eventually became the city Housing Authority police chief in 1984, as it states on the badge. In the police force, he fought against racial discrimination towards the Black officers and consequently established the Guardians of Greater Pittsburgh as a measure of protection for the Black officers in the police force. During his time, he also advocated for the inclusion and employment of more black people in places like the Allegheny Club, the Urban Redevelopment Authority and many downtown construction projects. Adams also founded a private security firm called A&S Security Systems Inc. which was later managed by his son Harvey Adams III. He also became the president of the Pittsburgh chapter of the NAACP for 16 years from 1976 to 1992. After his death, it was proclaimed by the mayor Luke Ravenstahl and Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato that September 12th in Pittsburgh would be Harvey Adams Jr. Day. Other objects in the catalog related to Harvey Adams Jr. are two prize medals, a commemorative ceramic mug, a plastic award in the shape of a human, an award clock, and a charcoal portrait drawing of Adams.

Guo, David. “Harvey Adams: On the Front Lines of Racism Fight.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Newspapers.com. p.21. 15 May 1991.

Barnes, Tom. “Adams Must Hire New Management to Obtain Loan.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Newspapers.com. p.4. 15 October 1988.

Referenced from Accession Report for Catalog number 2014.24.1