In this interview, David Zierler, Oral Historian for AIP, interviews Bruce Tarter, director emeritus of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Tarter recounts his childhood in Kentucky and Illinois and his experiences as an undergraduate at MIT and his early commitment to pursuing research in theoretical physics. He describes his graduate work at Cornell where he conducted research on the interaction of x-ray sources with optically thin environments. Tarter discusses his post-doctoral research at Goddard, his increasing focus on astrophysics and some formative interactions with Edward Teller. He explains his early work at Livermore and the series of promotions that led to his leadership positions there. Tarter provides a detailed overview of his work on Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), and his contributions to the planning of the California Seismic Safety Commission (SSC). He discusses the impact of the post-Cold War security environment on Livermore and describes the policy relationship between the lab and Department of Energy (DOE). Tarter explains the impact of September 11 on the labs operations, he discusses the advisory work he has done in recent years, and he explains his current focus on climate change and AI issues.