The oldest and most prestigious award of AGU is its Bowie Medal. We recognize and honor a lifetime of momentous achievements in space physics by Hannes Alfvén by naming him our 1988 Bowie Medalist. But more than that, with this award, we honor the underdog, one who has stood up to a powerful scientific establishment, suffered, persisted, and finally prevailed. By making Hannes Alfven our Bowie Medalist, we do more than recognize a worthy recipient—we make ourselves feel good. Our innate sense of justice is indulged. We bask in the self‐satisfied glow that comes from witnessing truth win over the forces that would lead us as