Lance Adams-Schneider

The Right Honourable Sir Lance Adams-Schneider KCMG
Adams-Schneider in 1982
9th Ambassador to the United States
In office 18 May 1982 – 5 March 1985
Prime Minister	Robert Muldoon David Lange
Preceded by	Frank Gill
Succeeded by	Bill Rowling
3rd Minister of Trade and Industry
In office 12 December 1975 – 11 December 1981
Prime Minister	Robert Muldoon
Preceded by	Warren Freer
Succeeded by	Hugh Templeton
21st Minister of Health
In office 9 February 1972 – 8 December 1972
Prime Minister	Jack Marshall
Preceded by	Don McKay
Succeeded by	Bob Tizard
42nd Minister of Customs
In office 12 December 1969 – 9 February 1972
Prime Minister	Keith Holyoake
Preceded by	Norman Shelton
Succeeded by	George Gair
10th Minister of Broadcasting
In office 15 February 1967 – 12 December 1969
Prime Minister	Keith Holyoake
Preceded by	Jack Scott
Succeeded by	Bert Walker
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Waikato
In office 29 November 1969 – 28 November 1981
Succeeded by	Simon Upton
Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Hamilton
In office 2 May 1959 – 29 November 1969
Preceded by	Hilda Ross
Personal details
Born	Lancelot Raymond Adams (1919-11-11)11 November 1919 Wellington, New Zealand
Died	3 September 1995(1995-09-03) (aged 75)
Nationality	New Zealander
Political party	National
Spouse	Shirley Lois Brunton
Children	Two sons, one daughter
Occupation	Retailer

Sir Lancelot Raymond Adams-Schneider KCMG (11 November 1919 – 3 September 1995) was a New Zealand politician of the National Party.

Biography

Early life and career

Lancelot Raymond Adams was born in Wellington, New Zealand, to Arthur Archibald Adams and Hilda Mary Adams (née Biggs). His mother died when he was three years old, and his paternal aunt, Susan Isabella Schneider (née Adams) took on the care of her nephew. Later, Susan and her husband, Theodore Schneider, adopted Lancelot and he became Lance Adams-Schneider. He was educated at Eastern Hutt Primary School, Petone Memorial Technical College, and Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland.

He entered the drapery trade on leaving school and founded his own business in Auckland. Later he managed a large store in Taumarunui. During World War II, Adams-Schneider served in the Medical Corps. He later became a member of the Taumarunui Borough Council, president of the Chamber of Commerce, and an executive member of the New Zealand Retailers' Association.

In 1944, Adams-Schneider became engaged to Shirley Lois Brunton, and the couple married the following year.

Political career

New Zealand Parliament

Years	Term	Electorate		Party
1959–1960	32nd	Hamilton			National
1960–1963	33rd	Hamilton			National
1963–1966	34th	Hamilton			National
1966–1969	35th	Hamilton			National
1969–1972	36th	Waikato			National
1972–1975	37th	Waikato			National
1975–1978	38th	Waikato			National
1978–1981	39th	Waikato			National

His private enterprise position and retail experience influenced him politically and led him to become involved with the National Party. He became chairmans of the party's Taumaranui Branch and was later a publicity officer for the party's Waikato Division. He later sought the National Party nomination at a by-election in Bay of Plenty in early 1957, but was unsuccessful.

Adams-Schneider stood in the Hutt electorate against Labour Party leader Walter Nash in 1957, coming second for National. He then contested and won for National the 1959 Hamilton by-election held after the death of the incumbent MP, Dame Hilda Ross. He continued to represent the Hamilton electorate until its disestablishment in 1969, after which he represented the Waikato electorate until his retirement in 1981.

Adams-Schneider was a parliamentary under-secretary from 1964 to 1967, Minister of Broadcasting from 1967 to 1969, Minister of Customs from 1969 to 1972, Minister of Health and Minister of Social Welfare in 1972, and Minister of Trade and Industry from 1975 to 1981.

He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, and the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal.

Diplomatic career

Following his retirement from national politics, Adams-Schneider was appointed the Ambassador from New Zealand to the United States (1982–85) and to Mexico (1982–83).

In the 1984 Queen's Birthday Honours, Adams-Schneider was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, for public services. He was also a member of the Privy Council.

Later life and death

Adams-Schneider was active in youth work and was a lay preacher in the Baptist Church.

He died on 3 September 1995. His wife, Shirley, Lady Adams-Schneider, died in Wellington on 20 May 2020.

Further reading

• Industrial Development Seminar [Industrial Development Seminar ( 1966: Hamilton, N.Z.)] (2nd ed.), Hamilton, [N.Z.]: n.p., 1966
• Adams-Schneider's contribution was the closing address [in Hamilton on Saturday 20 November 1965]. At this time, he was a Parliamentary Under-Secretary to the Ministers of Industries and Commerce and Customs.
• The New Zealand Institute of Management Inc. Top Management Seminar, July 22 and 23, 1981: management and the effects of government strategy, Wellington, [N.Z.]: New Zealand Institute of Management, 1981
• Adams-Schneider's contribution was a paper entitled: "Government industrial and trade strategies: the aim"
• A report on the practice of sending criminals to mental hospitals ; to: the Minister of Health, the Hon. L.R. Adams-Schneider and the Minister of Justice, the Hon. Sir Roy Jack – April 1972, Wellington, [N.Z.]: n.p., 1972
• O'Keefe, John A. B. (1978), The Commerce Act 1975: the text of the statute and its amendments with annotations (2nd ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Butterworths
• The first edition had a Foreword by Warren Freer, this second edition has one by Lance Adams-Schneider.
• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.

External links

• Media related to Lance Adams-Schneider at Wikimedia Commons