Born in Glasgow, Adam became involved in the trade union movement at an early age.
She worked as an organiser for the National Federation of Women Workers, under Mary Macarthur.
She left the federation to study at Ruskin College for two years, after which she found work as the secretary to James Maxton, a prominent Labour Party Member of Parliament.
After some time working for him and also for Tom Dickson, she moved to the Miners' Federation of Great Britain, where she was the personal secretary to General Secretary A. J. Cook for eight years.
[1] In 1932, Adam began working for the TUC as the secretary of its Women's National Advisory Committee.