Gordon Adam studied mining engineering at Leeds University where he focused primarily on coal mining and then in the mechanics of ground movement. Subsequently, he spent 20 years working for the British National Coal Board. After some years in colliery management, Dr Adam specialised in Strata control which can best be described as the mechanisation of pit props.
When he was elected to the European Parliament in 1979 he became a member of the Energy and Research Committee and was a Vice-Chairman of that Committee for fifteen years. From 2000 he was Energy Spokesman for the British Labour members, serving on the Parliament's Industry Committee. He has been an active member of the European Energy Foundation. In 2003 and 2004 he sponsored the Energy Choices for Europe conferences in Brussels.
He visited nuclear installations in Russia, Ukraine and those of the accession states. Dr Adam believed that Energy Policy could not be implemented from Brussels or national capitals and has, therefore, given particular attention to actions at regional and local level.
In 1999, while he was Chairman, The Northern Energy initiative published an Energy Strategy for the North East Region. It was the forerunner of a more regionally focused implementation of national energy policies.

The documents were deposited by M. Jacques Schouller of the Archives Service, European Parliament on behalf of Gordon Adam in late 1995 in the Historical Archives. The terms of deposit are those stipulated in the contract of deposit of 17 December 1984 concerning the transfer and conservation of Community documents to Florence.

The material comprising this fonds reflects Gordon Adam's work in several committees. His professional career as a mining engineer predisposing his involvement in the Committee for Energy, there is a lot of material on nuclear energy in particular.
As member of the European Parliament from 1979 - 2000, as well as serving on the Committee of Energy for the whole of that period, he was also Vice-President of the aforementioned Committee from 1984-1999. He has been active in energy matters in his home region of the North East of England having chaired the North East Energy Forum, the Northern Energy Initiative and the Northumbria Energy Advice Center. He was Senior Energy Advisor with the Energy Policy Consulting and a life member of the Parliamentary Group for Energy Studies (Westminster).

A second transfer was made by Damian Cleghorn on behalf of Gordon Adam in 2022. It was composed of 58 files, 1 album of photos and 1 artifact.

Arrangment is by subject matter.

English