This paper reviews the history of Division 35 (Division of Psychology of Women) of the American Psychological Association. It discusses the meaning of the concept of a psychology of women, starting with Parlee's distress that such a concept conveys a need for a special or separate set of laws or theories about women and concludes with Mednick's defense of the concept on pragmatic and heuristic grounds. A case is made for the need of such a concept because of psychology's past preoccupation with males as subjects. The establishment of norms and criteria for behavior on such limited samples fosters a tendency to make unfair and derogatory applications to and interpretations of female behaviors. Sex-difference research is viewed as an inadequate solution because, among other reasons, it perpetuates rather than alleviates the problem by use of male-established norms to interpret the "differences." A brief review of some publications on the psychology of women emphasizes the interest and activity in this area. Recent research foci are analyzed and future research needs are discussed, e.g., areas such as problem-solving strategies (cognitive styles) and the middle years. (Author)