This publication presents an overview of adult education in the United States, based on information from a variety of expert sources. The Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education (BOAE) requested a set of study documents to aid in developing position statements that reflected the Bureau's view of the chief issues surrounding the concept of lifelong learning. This synthesis is an attempt to draw together the content of these studies, to provide a manageable and accurate portrayal of the massive set of materials. These documents, over a thousand pages, addressed-in detail and in depth-the following broad topics: (1) An overview of the state of adult learning in the United States today; (2) Evaluation of the benefits of adult learning; (3) Projections of, with estimates for, future needs of American society and the implications for adult learning; (4) Assessments of the major problems confronting today's adult learners. The chief caution to be considered, based on this examination of the study documents, is that future developments will be difficult if present disagreements among the experts persist.