Bob Adam, a lifelong resident of the Cy-Fair area, has always looked for ways to give back to the community he came from.

As a trustee of the Cy-Fair Educational Foundation since 1971, Bob along with his wife, Linda, have given more than $1 million—money that has helped fund countless scholarships for Cy-Fair ISD students and teacher excellence grants.

On Feb. 18, members of the Cy-Fair community came together to honor the Adams with a celebration of their philanthropic efforts. Although education has been the focus of their giving, guests at the event spoke on Bob’s involvement in other areas as well, including time dedicated to the Lone Star College System, the Cy-Fair Medical Center Hospital and the Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce.

“It takes no effort to write a check, but it takes a lot of effort to devote … all the time poured into [CFEF],” said Fred Caldwell, a local developer and CFEF trustee, at the Feb. 18 event. “It was a small educational foundation, and now it’s probably the best foundation of its type anywhere in the country, and it’s because of the effort and giving of time, which I think is the biggest sacrifice.”

Bob was born in Cy-Fair and graduated from Cy-Fair High School in 1955. He met Linda while studying law at Baylor University, and the two have been married for 57 years.

Bob reflected on his upbringing in Cy-Fair at the Feb. 18 event, including the role his father, Bernard Fred Adam, played in shaping the district. B. F. Adam, for whom CFISD’s Adam Elementary School is named, served on the board of trustees in the 1950s.

When a measure was put before the board to split CFISD into two separate school districts—Cypress ISD and Fairbanks ISD—B. F. Adam was the lone Fairbanks area trustee to vote to keep the district together, a decisive call in a 4-3 vote that resulted in the preservation of CFISD.

Bob said he and Linda were humbled to be recognized. He reflected on the growth within CFISD over the years, from 1,000 students at the onset to more than 116,000 students in 2019.

“I can’t wait to see the change in the next 10 years,” he said. “I think the best is yet to come.”

Debbie Blackshear, a CFISD trustee and a member of the CFEF leadership committee, said the accomplishments of the foundation would not have been possible without the Adams.

“These two people are probably the most amazing people I have had the privilege to know,” Blackshear said. “Our foundation would not be where it is if not for Bob and Linda Adam and their selfless love and generosity for others.”