During a career spanning five decades, Edward Zigler has combined scholarly research with public service to promote national and state policies that are good for all children. Often called "the father of Head Start," he served on the planning committee for the program in 1965 and became the first director of the Office of Child Development, which administered the fledgling Head Start program. He has worked in some capacity with every federal administration since then. In this interview, he talks about Head Start's effectiveness in promoting school readiness, which he defines more broadly than cognitive development. He also discusses his views on universal preschool and the urgent need for a child care system in the United States. (Contains 1 endnote and 9 resources.)