This synthesis of selected manuscripts, submitted to the Bureau of Occupational and Adult Education to aid in developing position statements that reflected the Bureau's view of chief issues surrounding the concept of lifelong learning, presents an overview of adult education in the United States. The first section is a brief listing of the public policy issues regarding the development of a lifelong learning concept. The remainder of this booklet presents information relative to the following three broad areas of investigation: (1) The Adult Learner covers learning definitions, learning theories, adult education, adult learners and educators (includes institutional delivery and self-initiated learning), learning performance, and life stages; (2) The Context for Learning discusses barriers to adult learning (institutional, personal, social, and conceptual barriers), demographics for the year 2000, and some central issues; and (3) Lifelong Learning: A Conceptual Frame examines the common themes found in the manuscripts regarding the concept of lifelong learning. (EM)