A Remarkable Legacy: The Wayne F. Placek Fund Grant Program

Gregory M. Herek, PhD, made an important professional contribution through his service as chair of the Scientific Review Committee of the Wayne F. Placek Fund of the American Psychological Foundation (APF). The scholars funded by this grant benefited from the prestige of the grant, which provided an important credential for early career professional development. Many of them went on to become significant researchers in the field of sexual and gender minorities. The studies funded by the Placek Grant also had important political and social effects, such as on legalizing adoption by lesbian and gay parents, passage of same-sex marriage, and demonstrating that lesbians and gay men were at elevated risk for physical health problems. The purpose of the present article is to document the history and impact of the Placek Grant and to describe Greg Herek's central role in this grant program.