Dr Newton Adams, under the auspices of the American Board of Missions, established a school in the catchment area of the Amanzimtoti River south of Durban, that that would eventually be known as Adams College. RK Myeza, a former student of Adams College and an historian on early missions writes: “The American Board of Zulu Mission (as it became known) failed to make Zulus Americans and also failed to make them Christians, but succeeded to inspire them to reach higher levels of education beyond their bench mark of elementary and primary schools.”
The American Board missionaries, Newton Adams, Aldin Grout and George Champion, who were assigned to work among the Zulu people, arrived in the area in 1835. Within months they had paid a visit to King Dingane, despite being told by their Board not to do so. A short while later they were assigned a piece of land to establish a mission that was called Nginani, meaning “I am with you”. Champion was stationed at Nginani, Grout opened a mission in what would become known as Groutville, and Adams worked in the Umlazi area and further down the coast.