Women's studies (WS) was built by pioneering scholars who dedicated themselves to claiming space in the curriculum for women's diverse experiences and societal contributions. They explored gender as one of several important and interdependent social and cultural aspects of identity, including race, class, age, ability, nationality, and sexual orientation. They practiced pedagogies that valued personal growth, reciprocity in relationships, and exchange of knowledge. The resulting "knowledge explosion" challenged disciplinary boundaries and critiqued masculine biases embedded in the academy. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore this paradox and to improve understanding of the complex interactions of factors that affect feminist work in the academy. 20 WS faculty at four comprehensive universities were interviewed, focusing on how individual values (feminist beliefs and scholarly identity), peer values (intellectual and friendship communities), and institutional values (reward systems and resource allocation) influenced their decisions about pursuing feminist teaching, research, and service.