The limited historical record in the field of gifted education begs for additional investigation in order to gain a greater understanding of how the field has arrived at its current state. This book is a historical treatment of the field through the life stories of key figures from the 19thand 20thcenturies. Bookended by the appearances of Galton'¬"s Hereditary Genius in 1869 and the Marland Report to the United States Congress in 1972, the modern study of gifted education is peopled by fascinating figures and their contributions to gifted education. The choice of key figures is based on the following criteria: Key figures must have made foundational contributions to the field (e.g., intelligence, creativity, motivation, cultural or curriculum theory) prior to the Marland Report; there must be archival research materials relating to them, and they must be deceased for at least seven years. This text provides the first book-length examination of the key figures in gifted education and their conceptual contributions to the field during this 100 year period. Distinguishing Features Biographical/Conceptual Presentations'¬ ; Chapters by leading scholars provide both lively biography and a scholarly analysis of the individual'¬"s contributions to the modern field of gifted education. These captivating life stories provide intrinsically interesting, little known experiences which helped shape the thinking and thus the contributions of key figures within the field. Chapter Structure'¬ ; Each biographical chapter isstructured as follows: 1) an overview situates the individual in their historical context and provides a brief rationale for their inclusion 2) formative details of their childhood and adult experiences are covered and 3) their major philosophical, theoretical, historical, or pedagogical contributions are presented. Connective Chapters'¬ ; Brief chapters following major periods of development provide linking text that helps contextualize the history of people and ideas within adjacent eras. Archival Research'¬ ; To ensure rigorous inquiry, each chapter is based in part on archival holdings or on private papers/primary source documents concerning the individual.