Beck, Joan

The late Joan Beck wrote the award-winning "You and Your Child" column for "The Chicago Tribune" for many years, in which she pioneered coverage of new research on brain development, the battle against birth defects, and the struggles of parents to balance family and careers -- all the while, raising two children herself. Later, she became the first woman member of the "Tribune's" editorial board and her twice-weekly op-ed columns were syndicated in hundreds of newspapers nationwide. A member of the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame, Ms. Beck was also the author of four books: "Best Beginnings,