Reflecting on his Stanford years and a long career of public service, David A. Hamburg, M.D., former professor and chair of psychiatry at Stanford, spoke about the establishment of his chimpanzee research in Tanzania, the kidnapping (and release) of 4 students, and coming face to face with problems of poverty, disease and revolution. He also discussed his time as head of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, President of Carnegie Corporation, and co-chair of Carnegie Commission on Preventing Deadly Conflict. He worked with several US presidents on issues including national health policy, war and peace, nuclear disarmament and preventing mass violence.