The development and contributions of Professor Ruth Eckert are presented in this autobiographical essay. Focus is on higher education as a field of graduate study and changes in higher education throughout this century. The author's experiences are set in the context of wider happenings in higher education. (Author/JMD)

The beginning of interest in educational research as such is traced to the 1890's and to J. M. Rice, who encouraged that departments of educational research be attached to public and private agencies and university education departments. Early research efforts were limited largely to measurement and elementary and secondary education, but a 1910…