STEAMER NENANA CAPTAIN DONATES $100,000 TO UAF
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 4, 1996
Fairbanks, Alaska - For the first half of this century, Howard Adams, captain of the steamer "Nenana," traveled the rivers of Interior Alaska to bring supplies and goods to Fairbanks pioneers. Nearly two generations later, Adams is still providing for Fairbanks' first families - but this time, it's an education for their children.
Adams bequest $100,000 to establish a scholarship for students attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "Education was always a top priority in our family," said Adams' sister Elizabeth Jarvi. Adams earned a business degree from the University of Utah taking classes part time so he could remain captain of the "Nenana" during the ice-free months on Alaska's rivers. Adams became a prosperous businessman in Juneau, but his love for the Interior's rivers didn't allow him to stray far for long, his sister said.
Adams began his river adventures aboard the "Nenana" as a mess boy under the tutelage of his uncle, Captain C.W. Adams. "Uncle Charles would bring him in the wheelhouse and teach him on his off time," said Jarvi in a letter that accompanied the bequest.
In 1933 the "Nenana" was built in its namesake town by the Alaska Railroad Corp. to transport supplies on the Nenana and lower Yukon rivers. For 16 years the steamer made the roundtrip between Fairbanks and Marshall, carrying passengers and freight every two weeks from May to October.
When his Uncle Charles retired, Howard took over as captain. Adams piloted the steamer, affectionately known in the Interior as the "Proud Queen of the Yukon," on her last voyage up the Chena River in 1954.
The ship sat restless on the river shore for several years, just a stone's throw from downtown Fairbanks. It was first used as a museum and later abandoned to wandering drifters. In 1967, the ship was floated downstream for the Alaska Centennial Exposition, into what was later to be named Alaskaland.
The "Nenana" was designated a national historic landmark in 1989 and restoration efforts were begun. Adams attended the dedication ceremony in 1992 when a plaque commemorating him and three other crew members was placed on the "Nenana."
"Howard loved the boats. He loved the rivers and when he died, he wanted his ashes up there," Jarvi said.
Each summer tourists from around the globe step into the past as they trace Adams' footsteps on the decks of the sternwheeler.
With the bequest, family members hope that qualified UAF students will be able to step into the future as well. The Howard Adams Scholarship, offered to students born in Alaska and not majoring in physical education, will be distributed in $10,000 increments over the next 10 years.
The University of Alaska Foundation will accept applications for next year's scholarship recipients through March 1, 1997. Applications are available at the UAF Financial Aid Office, 101 Eielson Bldg. on campus.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Historical photo of Adams available
upon request.
CONTACT: Scott Taylor, Director, University of
Alaska Foundation, (907) 474-7687, or Jillian Swope, UAF University
Relations, (907) 474-7778.
UAF News releases available electronically at:
http://www.uaf.edu/univrel/media
JCS/12-4-96/97-034