Interview is a biographical profile of theoretical astrophysicist David Layzer, with emphasis on his career at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Topics discussed include his family life, interest in music, childhood interests, reading preferences. Affinity for mathematics. Contact with Jason Nassau at the Warner and Swasey Observatory. Devoured literatures, recollections of English teacher. Decision to enroll at Harvard and contact with Bart Bok. Mathematics courses and contacts with Garrett Birkhoff. Contrasting mathematics and astronomy at Harvard. The Harvard undergraduate experience, interrupted by being drafted into Army service during World War II. Signal Corps duty in radio intelligence control. Return to Harvard and astrophysics readings. Contact with Herbert Jehle. Harvard graduate school, thesis with Donald Menzel, Ph.D. in 1950. Interest in philosophy of physics. Impressions of Harvard College Observatory (HCO) under Shapley and the Berkeley Astronomy Department under Otto Struve. Growth of interests in cosmology at Berkeley and move to Princeton on another temporary appointment. Work for John Wheeler. Impressions of Princeton, lack of security clearance, contact with Martin Schwarzschild and Edward Teller. Return to Harvard in 1953 under Menzel and general recollections of the divisive atmosphere of the place and the coming of Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) under Whipple. View of the importance of teaching. Writing and publishing. The growth of SAO and his concerns. Leo Goldberg's concerns about SAO and HCO relations. Layzer's involvement - commentary on letters he wrote during the crisis expressing concern over Harvard's lowered rating among astronomical institutions and what to do about it.