[4] The earliest paternal ancestor was Francis Adams from England, an indentured servant who settled the Province of Maryland in 1638.

He entered investment banking, rising to partner in a New York Stock Exchange member firm.

In 1917, he served with Colonel House on President Wilson's commission, "The Inquiry", to prepare data for the Paris Peace Conference.

[3] His main task consisted in the provision of maps and the selection of plans and atlases that should be acquired by the War College, the American Geographical Society, and the Library of Congress.

Adams gained national attention with his trilogy on the history of New England (1921–26), winning the Pulitzer Prize for the first volume.

His Epic of America was an international bestseller, and was included in Life Magazine's list of the 100 outstanding books of 1924–1944.

The Epic of America was his attempt to save a "priceless heritage", and sustain the distinctly American understanding of progress in humane and moral terms.

The quote is part of an essay by Adams entitled "To 'Be' or to 'Do': A Note on American Education" which appeared in the June, 1929 issue of Forum.

In the complications of modern life and with our increased accumulation of knowledge, it doubtless helps greatly to compress some years of experience into far fewer years by studying for a particular trade or profession in an institution; but that fact should not blind us to another—namely, that in so doing we are learning a trade or a profession, but are not getting a liberal education as human beings.Adams lived in Southport, Connecticut, where he died of a heart attack.

[3] After 1930, Adams was active in the American Academy of Arts and Letters[16] serving as both chancellor and treasurer of that organization.