George Bethune Adams

George Bethune Adams (April 3, 1845 – October 9, 1911) was a United States lawyer and United States federal judge specializing in admiralty law. He served in private practice, litigated before the Supreme Court of the United States, and served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Early life and career Adams was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though under the minimum age, he enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment in the United States Army in 1861, and served for three months before returning to school. He reenlisted in 1863 when Robert E. Lee's forces invaded Pennsylvania, and afterwards entered the Quartermaster's Department of the Army, where he served until 1871. He then worked as a merchant for several years. He read law and became a lawyer in Philadelphia in 1878. He was thereafter in private practice in New York City, New York from 1883 to 1901, specializing in admiralty law at the firm of Beebe & Wilcox; after the death of Judge Beebe in 1884, he became a name partner and the firm was renamed Wilcox, Adams & Green. There, he litigated before the Supreme Court of the United States in admiralty cases such as The Kate. Adams was Secretary of the Union League Club of New York in 1894 and 1895. Federal judicial service