The adolescent personality and adult maturity, competence and quality of marital relations associated with paternal competence were assessed by a longitudinal study of highly educated fathers. Paternal competence was rated by the fathers and their wives. It is directly related to adolescent psychological adjustment and adult maturity and psychological health, a wide range of other adult competencies, and marital characteristics like happiness, adequacy of communication, sexual compatibility, and the competence of the wife as a mother.