Discusses his family history and education; his early work with the Weather Bureau Office in Oakland, Calif.; military service; meteorology training for the armed forces (WW II); studies at New York University meteorology program and his experiences with Athelstan Spilhaus; his move to Oregon State Physics Dept. and the meteorology program; awarded his Ph.D. in Physics; Army contract to analyze role of weather on operations in WWII; research using weather radar installed on Mary's Peak outside of Corvallis; establishment of Atmospheric Sciences Dept. in late 1960s; his appointment within the Reagan Administration as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Education; reflections on political process and contacts in Oregon and Washington, D.C.; retirement to Corvallis, Oreg. in 1985 to work as consulting forensic meteorologist; thoughts on climate change; political exploitation of alarmist claims.