He attended the College of Guam for two years before entering the University of Portland, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in corporate finance in 1968.

Ada, who had just turned 27 at the time, remained as Public Works deputy director until 1972, when he resigned to make his first bid for elected office.

In the election for the 13th Guam Legislature, the Republicans were swept into the majority and Ada was the overall top vote getter.

He followed Camacho's example after he became governor, offering cabinet positions to bright young people, many who became leaders in their own right.

During his term as speaker, Ada, a strong advocate of education, established priorities that would remain important to him in the years to come.

He cosponsored a bill that created the Guam Community College and made a substantial investment in vocational education.

Ada led the fight to prevent massive personnel lay offs at Guam's Ship Repair Facility (SRF) in the mid-1970s.

He traveled to Washington, D.C., and presented Guam's case to forestall the closure of SRF, saving hundreds of local jobs.

He presented the Pacific case in Washington and in Tokyo and helped stop the plan for ocean dumping of nuclear waste.

He stewarded Guam's economic expansion and pushed, successfully, for return of land held by the US military.

[2] When Ada began his first term Guam was in the throes of an economic recession with the government suffering under a crushing deficit.

Ada believed that Guam needed to be financially healthy and not dependent on the US government in order to move forward politically.

In his second term Ada capitalized on the fruits of his economic recovery program and made the largest investment in education in Guam up to that time.

Gutierrez and his running mate Madeleine Bordallo for a contentious race ultimately decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.