Adelaide Hart was born in Saginaw, Michigan on April 24, 1900. Her father was born in London, Ontario and her mother in Essexville, Michigan. Adelaide grew up in Muskegon and Charlotte and was a 1918 graduate of Charlotte High School. She attended a year of prep school at St. Mary's Academy, Monroe in 1919, before attending Western Michigan University from 1921-1923 where she received her teaching certificate.

Hart taught in the Detroit elementary schools from 1923 through 1963, doing all from instructing music at Jefferson School to heading the schools' fine arts department. She returned to school twice, at Marygrove College, to pursue further degrees. From Marygrove College she received a Ph.B. in 1930 and an M.A. in 1937. She also pursued continuing education extension coursework at Wayne State University and the University of Detroit.

She was one of the original organizers and served as vice president and executive secretary of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, AFT.

A life-long Democrat, Hart first became active in politics during G. Mennen Williams 1948 gubernatorial campaign. She served local, regional, state and national seats - both elected and appointed - including Wayne County Rent Advisory Board (1947-1951); Wayne County Board of Supervisors (1947-1949); State Mental Health Commission (1960-?); Michigan Committee for Civil Rights (1947-?). She was elected at least seven times as a precinct delegate (1948-1961) for Wayne County. In 1961 she ran for, and was elected, a delegate to the Michigan State Constitutional Convention from Wayne County 10th District (1961-1962). Hart was a member of the executive board of the 17th Congressional District, a member of the state central committee, a member of the Democratic National Platform Committee in 1952 and 1964, a delegate and Democratic Caucus Chairman at Michigan's 1961-1962 Constitutional Convention, chairwoman of the Michigan Federation of Democratic Women, and chairwoman of the register of voters of the Wayne County Democratic Counties. In 1951 she was elected vice-chairwoman of the Michigan Democratic Party, serving into the late 1960s. In 1976 she was a candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan.

She was active in the Marygrove College alumnae association, serving as a president for a time. She remained single and was a devout Catholic. Adelaide Hart died July 22, 1995 of complications from a stroke in the Mercy Bellbrook Nursing Home, Rochester Hills, at the age of 95.