Mike S. Adams graduated from Mississippi State University in 1993 with a PhD in criminology and became a professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW). He also wrote columns for Townhall and The Daily Wire and spoke frequently on first amendment and pro-life issues. Although Mike twice won the Faculty Member of the Year Award, in 2006, he was denied a promotion to full professor and filed suit in federal court, alleging that UNCW had retaliated against him. The lawsuit set up a legal challenge concerning whether Garcetti v. Ceballos (2006) applied to college professors. In 2014, Mike finally won before a jury in federal court in North Carolina. He passed away in 2020.

David Adams, Mike's only sibling, is a retired computer programmer. He enjoys photography and traveling with his wife and is dedicated to keeping Mike's legacy alive. Mike and David were born in Columbus, Mississippi, and grew up in Houston near NASA, where their parents worked.