Ernest R. (Ernest Rutherford) Groves

Ernest Rutherford Groves (May 6, 1877–September 11, 1946) was an American sociologist and educator best known for his work on marriage and the family. Biographical records indicate he was born in Framingham, Massachusetts, and studied at Dartmouth College and Yale Divinity School.

Groves became an influential early voice in family studies, writing widely on courtship, marriage, and home life at a time when those subjects were only beginning to be treated as serious academic fields. He is also remembered in the history of the National Council on Family Relations, which regards him as an important figure in the development of family sociology.

Along with his academic work, he wrote books intended for general readers as well as students, helping shape popular and scholarly discussion about family relationships in the United States during the first half of the 20th century.