Chapter 1: Foreword: Honoring Dr. Frances K. Kochan

Festschrift, a tradition in academia of honoring someone influential who has enriched a field, has long celebrated the contributions of men—male scientists, physicists, philosophers, politicians, literary writers, and so forth. She, who is a pioneer, leader, and mentor in a discipline, is rarely acknowledged in this tradition. At least that’s my impression from having combed many such texts before stumbling across one honoring social psychologist Marilynn Brewer. The rarity of this Brewer’s Festschrift amongst a long line up of “gents” makes the point that one is hard-pressed to find a book in the Festschrift tradition that recognizes a female for her remarkable accomplishments in a valued area.