Neil Clark Warren facts for kids

Neil Clark Warren (born September 18, 1934) is an American expert in human behavior. He is a clinical psychologist, a professor, and a Christian theologian. He is best known as the co-founder of the online dating websites eHarmony and Compatible Partners.

In 1995, Warren and his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch, started a company called Neil Clark Warren & Associates. This company offered workshops and learning materials based on Warren's books. In early 2000, they launched eHarmony. This online service helps people find compatible partners. It quickly became popular, attracting two million users in just three years. Warren retired in 2007 but returned to eHarmony in July 2012 as its chief executive.

Early Life and School

Neil Clark Warren grew up near Des Moines, Iowa. From a young age, he was interested in how well people get along. His parents were married for 70 years. However, Warren noticed they often struggled to talk to each other. He felt they were not a very good match.

Warren went to Pepperdine University and earned his first degree in 1956. He then studied at Princeton Theological Seminary, getting his master's degree in 1959. Later, he earned his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Chicago in 1967.

Career Journey

As a Psychologist

Neil Clark Warren used to be a dean and a psychologist at the Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary. During this time, he also worked privately as a clinical psychologist. For 35 years, Warren focused on helping people understand how well they fit together in relationships. He studied why some marriages ended.

Through his work, Warren became very interested in helping single people find lasting relationships. He wanted to help them avoid the problems he had seen in his practice.

Author and Business Leader

Warren has written many books about finding the right person to marry. His first booklet, Selecting a Marriage Partner, came out in 1975. By 2013, he had written ten books. Some of his well-known titles include Learning to Live with the Love of Your Life and Date or Soul Mate?: How to Know If Someone Is Worth Pursuing in Two Dates or Less.

In 1995, Warren and his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch, started Neil Clark Warren & Associates. This company provided workshops and learning tools based on Warren's book, Finding the Love of Your Life. Building on his ideas about strong marriages, Warren and Forgatch launched eHarmony in 2000. It was an online service designed to match single people for marriage. They used what they called "29 dimensions of compatibility" to help people find good matches.

Warren was the chairman of eHarmony's board of directors from the start. In 2007, he retired and moved to Kennebunkport, Maine, with his wife, Marylyn. However, he returned to eHarmony as CEO in 2012. He explained in an interview that he believed eHarmony could do much more than just match people for marriage.

Warren's Views

Neil Clark Warren's personal beliefs have greatly influenced his work. However, these beliefs sometimes led to challenges as he tried to grow his business. He has said that he wants to serve people from all backgrounds.

Early on, eHarmony's growth was helped by being promoted on the radio show Focus on the Family. As the company grew and aimed to reach more people, Warren decided to move in a different direction. In 2005, he stopped appearing on the radio show. He also bought back the rights to three of his books that had been published by Focus on the Family. Warren explained that he wanted eHarmony to reach "the whole world—people of all spiritual orientations, all political philosophies, all racial backgrounds."

See also

• Helen Fisher
• Pepper Schwartz