Lawrence Cremin (1925–1990) was one of the most important educators in late twentieth-century America. In his 40-year career as a professor and academic leader, Cremin argued that education was central to American history and that skilled educational research would improve contemporary society. Cremin’s faith in education emerged from his beliefs as a postwar consensus liberal that the application of social science research, technology, and governmental strategies would lead to a tolerant and pluralistic society. A prolific scholar and gifted teacher, Cremin was also a significant educational leader, serving as president of a leading education school in the country, Teachers College (1974–1984), and the leading funder for educational research in the United States, the Spencer Foundation (1985–1990), as well as serving on the boards of dozens of major educational organizations that furthered various popular educational initiatives. For his scholarly accomplishments, he was awarded both the Bancroft and Pulitzer Prize for his writings in the history of American education and his vision and stature also led to much recognition in the popular media. Drawing on his 40 years of work diary and secondary sources, this chapter argues for Cremin’s significance in contemporary educational thought.