Richard Adams
Richard George Adams (9 May 1920 – 24 December 2016) was an English novelist and writer of the books "Watership Down", "Shardik" and "The Plague Dogs". He studied modern history at university before serving in the British Army during World War II. Afterwards, he completed his studies, and then joined the British Civil Service. In 1974, two years after "Watership Down" was published, Adams became a full-time author.
Charles Edward Adams (industrialist)
He was born on 29 October 1881 in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from St. Paul's School and Yale with an A.B. in 1904, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. After his graduation he spent three years as secretary to the banker Robert C. Pruyn. In 1907 he entered the brokerage firm F. S. Butterworth & Co., then moved to Callaway Fish & Co. in 1910. He briefly joined Foster & Adams and became treasurer of the Air Reduction Co. in 1918. He rose through the ranks of the company, eventually becoming chairman in 1937. Adams served on the boards of a number of companies, including the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, Pur Carbonic, Inc., Dry Ice, Inc., the Cuban Air Products Corp. and served as a trustee for Mutual Life. The highest point in his career came when he was made a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. During World War II Adams held several positions within the government. In 1940 he consulted the Council of National Defense on industrial materials. He served on the National Defense Mediation Board and headed the iron and steel branch of the War Production Board.