Everett M. Rogers (March 6, 1931–October 21, 2004) was a communication scholar, sociologist, writer, and teacher. He is best known for originating the diffusion of innovations theory and for introducing the term early adopter.
Rogers was born on his family's Pinehurst Farm in Carroll, Iowa, in 1931. His father loved electromechanical farm innovations, but was highly reluctant to utilize biological–chemical innovations, so he resisted adopting the new hybrid seed corn, even though it yielded 25% more crop and was resistant to drought. During the Iowa drought of 1936, while the hybrid seed corn stood tall on the neighbor’s farm, the crop on the Rogers’ farm wilted. Rogers’ father was finally convinced.^[1]

Rogers had no plans to attend university until a school teacher drove him and some classmates to Ames to visit Iowa State University. Rogers decided to pursue a degree in agriculture there. He then served in the Korean War for two years. He returned to Iowa State University to earn a Ph.D. in sociology and statistics in 1957.