The David Adler Estate in Libertyville (1918). Adler was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a wealthy family. He was the only son of Isaac David Adler, who operated a successful wholesale maker of men's clothing and would become the president of the Wisconsin National Bank. He had one sister, Frances, who became a well-known designer. Adler gradutated from Princeton in 1904 and studied further at Technical University Munich and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. Returning to the United States, Adler studied under Howard Van Doren Shaw, the foremost designer of country houses. Adler opened his own office in Orchestra Hall six months after joining Shaw's practice. He initially worked with his friend from the Ecole, Henry Dangler. Their first comission was a house in Lake Forest for William E. Clow in 1913. After Dangler's death in 1917, Adler tried to start an independent office but failed the architectural exam. He worked alongside Robert Work for the next 11 years until he was awarded an architectural license. Adler was an adept socialite and was able to secure commissions from many of Chicago's most notable families, including the Ryersons and Fields. Paul Schweikher joined Adler's practice in 1923-24 and went on to have a significant career of his own.