Clifford R. (Clifford Rose) Adams

Born in Elm City, North Carolina, in 1902, Clifford R. Adams became an American psychologist, professor, and author whose work focused on marriage, courtship, and family relationships. He spent much of his career at Pennsylvania State University, where he was associated with its marriage counseling work and became widely known for applying psychology to everyday life.

Adams wrote a number of popular books on love, sex, and married life, including How to Pick a Mate, which helped make him a familiar name to readers looking for practical guidance. His writing aimed to be useful rather than abstract, translating academic ideas into plain advice for couples and families.

He died in State College, Pennsylvania, in 1987 at the age of 84. Today he is remembered as an early public voice in marriage counseling, part of a generation of psychologists who tried to make relationship advice more evidence-based and accessible.