GIFTED AND TALENTED YOUTHS HAVE SUPERIOR PHYSICAL, SOCIAL, MORAL, AND EMOTIONAL TRAITS, FUNCTION BETTER PERSONALLY AND SOCIALLY, AND HAVE BETTER HOME BACKGROUNDS. THE GIFTED PERSON IS REGARDED AS "ONE WHO DEMONSTRATES CONSISTENTLY REMARKABLE PERFORMANCE IN ANY WORTHWHILE LINE OF ENDEAVOR." PROJECT TALENT ILLUSTRATED THE NEED FOR GREATER INDIVIDUALIZATION OF INSTRUCTION IN HIGH SCHOOL. NON-INTELLECTUAL CHARACTERISTICS, SUCH AS SEX AND EMOTIONAL CONTROL, ARE RELATED TO ACADEMIC SUCCESS. THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM REVEALED THAT EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS ARE MARKED WITH CONTINUED ACADEMIC SUCCESS, ARE USUALLY THE FIRST-BORN, FROM SMALL FAMILIES, AND ARE PERSONALLY MORE INDEPENDENTLY ORIENTED. VARIOUS INDIVIDUALS INVESTIGATING COLLEGE PROTEST MOVEMENTS FEEL THAT THE PARTICIPANTS ARE, IN GENERAL, MORE INTELLIGENT, MORE INDEPENDENT, MORE RECEPTIVE TO NEW CONCEPTS, MORE ETHICAL, AND TEND TO DO BETTER ACADEMICALLY THAN THE AVERAGE STUDENT. THE GENETIC CONSEQUENCES OF COLLEGE ROMANCES AND MARRIAGE MAY BE AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF GIFTED INDIVIDUALS. HOWEVER, BRIGHT CHILDREN STILL ARE BEING OVERLOOKED. THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT A WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY SCIENCE RESEARCH ASSOCIATES FOR TEACHERS OF GIFTED AND TALENTED YOUTH, DOLTON, ILLINOIS, FEBRUARY 16-17, 1967. (WR)