In this way, Mead reminds me of Henry George, who is unique (IMHO) in political science for being a great dude. George was a capital-W "Wife Guy" who stuck with his true love through thick and thin. And George also had a surprising habit of becoming best friends with people! People who got into Georgism would reach out to George himself and would frequently discover that he was an extraordinarily good friend.
Remember what George's big slogan was? "I am for men!" Meaning, "Dudes rock!"