Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Montgomery County Coroner’s office, specifically Ken Betz, Dr. Lee Lehman, and Sheri May, for providing not only the data, but also the impetus for this research. We also express our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Jeffery Allen at the Wright State University School of Professional Psychology for connecting us with the Montgomery County Coroners when they contacted him with this research opportunity.

Wright State University provided generous support for this project including a professional development leave. The School of Professional Psychology support staff have been available and attentive to our needs. We are especially grateful to Heather Ruch who stepped in at the last minute to help us reformat our references to APA style.

Numerous graduate students contributed to the project. Wright State University doctoral candidates contributed to the coding of data and conceptualization of this project. These included Stephanie Gemmer, Tarryn Moor, Dustin Hamilton, Kolina Delgado, Jessica Heschel, Tasha Phillips, Ashley Murray, Brianna Grover, Nicole Linen, Katherine Sunder, Ting Ooi, and Emily Kiourtsis; Alexa Ralicki helped compile references. Chelsea Farrell and Katie Kukiolcznyski, graduate research assistants in the History Department at Central Connecticut State University, helped prepare the manuscript by checking the citations and accuracy of the quotations from the notes.

The library staffs at both WSU and CCSU make so much of our work possible. Specifically, we want to acknowledge Brian Olesko of Wright State University who conducted last-minute literature searches, created an enormous file of references and helped us frame our research questions.

We would like to personally thank the following:

Cheryl Meyer: Most importantly, I want to thank my family who give me what I need to do this difficult work. Deb, whom I continually recruited to help over the past 4 years, spent countless hours listening to me and helping conceptualize the material, read drafts, edited, and coded data, as well as anything else I needed done, including continual problem solving. Her help and moral support have been the one constant throughout this project and the fuel that has kept me going. I thank my children for allowing me time and space to work on this and for being who they are. I watch with amazement as they go out into the world and navigate the difficult parts with strength and courage. Margaret Fischer, my neighbor extraordinaire, kindly read an initial chapter and told me it was boring and that I needed to include more vignettes. I think it made all the difference. Finally, I am grateful to Betty Yung for inviting me to be her partner in crime on so many projects. I miss her both professionally and personally.

Taronish Irani: I am extremely thankful to my parents Dr. Homi F. Irani, and Mrs. Homai H. Irani for their love, sacrifice, patience, prayers, and unconditional support. I am honored to have you as my parents. Dad and Mom, your endless confidence in my abilities has helped me during the most difficult times. You have been my inspiration and motivation for continuing to improve my knowledge and move my career forward. I also appreciate my immediate and extended family and my close friends for their moral support and prayers. I have deep gratitude to all the people who have supported me to complete this work, directly or indirectly.

Katherine Hermes: A very special thanks is extended to Alexandra Maravel who read and proofread the entire manuscript and gave me invaluable commentary. I would like to thank Joe Hermes, Karen Ritzenhoff, Karen Blanken, and Marie Morgan for their friendship and encouragement. The CCSU Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, Jacqueline Cobbina-Boivin and the Ruthe Boyea Women’s Center, and colleagues in sociology, Jessica Greenebaum, and in psychological sciences, Joanne DiPlacido, Carolyn Fallahi, and Jason Sikorski, have educated me over the years on many aspects of gender and psychology. Audrey Riggins, the history department secretary, listened to stories about suicide, discussed the cases, and kept my calendar as clear as possible so the book could be finished. Professors Dann J. Broyld, Heather Munro Prescott, Robert Wolff, and Heather Rodriguez of Central Connecticut State University offered helpful advice on historical and sociological issues relating to class, gender, and race and recommended historical sources. Finally, I am adding a special remembrance for Marlene Braun, Bev Schultz, and Yan Fang, beloved friends who have passed away and who taught me much about how precious life is.