Known for his empathy towards others and strong work ethic, Dalton Adams’ memory continues to challenge those who knew him to excel in their own lives.
Dalton Adams came to A&M excited and ready to challenge himself academically, said Sonny Adams, Dalton Adams’ father.
“He only applied for one school when it came that time,” Sonny Adams said. “He got in and did really well in school with mechanical engineering, and then doubled up with another major — he had a lot on his plate, but he did his best in school.”
Dalton Adams showed his diligence and independence by voluntarily taking on the burden of paying for school, Sonny Adams said.
“After a while, he got a couple of part-time jobs,” Sonny Adams said. “We helped him out when we could, but he decided he wanted to pay his own way.”
Dalton Adams was always fun to be around and was a joy to those around him, even to those who hardly knew him, said Lauren Fritz, Dalton Adams’ girlfriend.
“Dalton was the friendliest person I’ve ever met, and I always had fun when I was with him,” Fritz said. “When I would bring him around my friends, they all loved him because he was so sweet and kind.”
Even before she dated him, Fritz said Dalton Adams was a great friend she could always go to.
“He was my friend before we dated, and then he was my boyfriend and my best friend all in one,” Fritz said. “All of my memories of him were him being a great person you could talk to.”
While many of his closer friends went to the University of Texas, Dalton Adams never let the distance affect his love for his friends and family, said Peter Park, student at UT and Dalton’s best friend.
“We knew that we were going our separate ways — him to A&M, me to UT,” Park said. “That didn’t change anything. It made us stronger, because he would always try to stay in touch and call me up when he was in Austin.”
Fritz said she will always cherish the quality time Dalton Adams spent with her.
“I remember one time, he came up to Austin and my dorm wouldn’t let him in,” Fritz said. “So instead we hung out in a car all night, because he didn’t want to leave. It was a great time.”
Sonny Adams said when Dalton Adams was 10, he and Dalton Adams’ mother let him pick his middle name for fun.
“When he was a kid, we would sit around and watch old Godzilla movies, and he came down for the recent one and he loved them,” Sonny Adams said. “So, for a while, he was Dalton ‘Godzilla’ Adams. He will always be Godzilla to me.”
The memory of Dalton Adams drives those who knew him to excel in their own lives, said Park.
“He was a brother to me — we went through thick and thin, and I want to make him proud,” Park said. “I think about him every day, and the best I can do in this position is to honor Dalton with my actions and with all I have.”
With the loss of a friend and a son, Sonny Adams said he is grateful to A&M for its remembrance of Dalton Adams.
“I want to thank Texas A&M for reaching out to me about Silver Taps, as it celebrates his life,” Sonny Adams said. “When I think of College Station and Texas A&M, I will remember with pride the times I spent there with him, and I just want to say thank you for being a part of his life.”