<Tr> <Th> Spouse (s) </Th> <Td> Dr. Vera Mowry (1951--1959) Judith LeBrecque (1962--1971) Kara Knack (1972--1996) Dr. Eleanor Criswell (Wikidata) (1997--2010; his death) </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Children </Th> <Td> Jonathan Christopher Roberts (1951 - 1989) </Td> </Tr> <P> Pernell Elven Roberts, Jr . (May 18, 1928--January 24, 2010) was an American stage, film and television actor, as well as a singer . In addition to guest - starring in over 60 television series, he was best known for his roles as Ben Cartwright's eldest son Adam Cartwright on the Western television series Bonanza (1959--1965), and as chief surgeon Dr. John McIntyre, the title character on Trapper John, M.D. (1979--1986). </P> <P> Roberts was also known for his lifelong activism, which included participation in the Selma to Montgomery marches in 1965 and pressuring NBC to refrain from hiring whites to portray minority characters . </P>

Who played adam in bonanza and where is he