When works of teacher scholars were recognized with major National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) research awards, and the sections and conferences instituted research initiatives of their own, many were filled with the soaring hope that a new synergy was in the making. The "Research in the Teaching of English" (RTE) Alan C. Purves Award, instituted in 1998, began honoring articles deemed particularly rich with implication for classroom practice--articles, it turned out, that were often written or co-written by teacher-researchers. NCTE was increasingly blessed with members who individually embodied the integration of research and practice, as well as with professor-teacher teams who were working, thinking, and publishing together to wonderful effect. In this article, the author sketches NCTE's place in the world of educational research.