Childhood, Brooklyn, New York: family, cultural, and educational influences; Education: B.S., 1944, City College, Ph.D., 1949, Columbia University: reminiscences of academic and social atmosphere; Lamont Geological Observatory [Lamont] 1948-1955: Assistant Professor of Geophysics, projects with W. Maurice Ewing [Ewing], Ewing's choice of Lamont over Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT], Lamont's relationship with other organizations and researchers in the earth sciences, reminiscences of colleagues; California Institute of Technology [Caltech] 1955-1965: Professor of Geophysics and Director of Seismology Laboratory, decision to leave Lamont, impact of the International Geophysical Year on international relations in the field, visits to the USSR, Caltech-Lamont lunar seismograph development, planetary sciences at Caltech and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; MIT 1965-1977: Chairman of Earth and Planetary Sciences Department; Science Advisor to the White House, 1977-1981; continental drift theory debates; nuclear test detection issues.