The way in which the lives of spouses of professional men form an integral part of their husbands' careers is addressed, based on an analysis of the lives and marriages of 40 women: 20 wives of university professors and 20 wives of doctors. Through in-depth interviews with the wives, the connections between family and work were explored. The following areas were examined: the marriage relationship; the different periods and geographic locations of the husband's career; the wife's activities; the organization of work, family, and leisure time; the wife's attitude toward her husband's career and her own goals for the future. The women also responded to questions about the division of labor in the household and child care tasks, income, areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction in their lives, and their self-esteem. It is proposed that the lives led by medical and academic wives are an integral part of their husbands' careers. Distinct ways that family life becomes professionalized inside the medical and academic careers are indicated. The relationships between women's roles and men's careers suggests the professional advantage inherent in being a man with a certain kind of wife. There may be disadvantages for single or married women who must aspire to equality with men in career participation and professional success without a spouse in the wife role. The social structure of career success as well as the changing social order in the workplace and as reflected in family roles and relationships are some major parameters of the study. A bibliography and description of the research methodology are appended. (SW)