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It was shortly after Heinz Kohut's graduation from the Chicago Institute in 1950 that I stumbled upon the psychoanalytic scene in that city; and I matriculated as a candidate at the Institute just as he was assuming the major teaching responsibility of his career, a survey of the historical development of psychoanalytic psychology—an assignment he continued to carry out for over a decade. I witnessed the occasion that, for many of us, seemed to mark his rise to the intellectual leadership of the local analytic community: his presentation of the paper containing his most fundamental ideas—the essay on introspection and empathy—at the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Chicago Institute. I learned further about his work through some glimpses into the organizational activities he devotedly carried out in behalf of psychoanalysis in his roles as President of the Chicago Society and later as President of the American Psychoanalytic Association. Still later, when he chaired the Committee on Scientific Activities on which I served with him, I was able to observe directly the manner in which he devoted himself to a complex organizational task. I saw the infinite patience that leads to getting things just right, the courtesy and tact that induce varied personalities to lend themselves to the common task, and the scientific judgment and tactical skill that blend into the elusive quality of leadership. Finally, in the course of the past six years, in a curious variety of circumstances, as an editor, colleague, and friend, I have had privileged access to much of Heinz Kohut's scientific production at some pre-publication stage.
Actually, a fair number of people who participated in celebrating his