Bill Wilkins was a Professor of Economics at Oregon State University from 1961 to 1994, and served as Dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1982 to 1994. In this, the first of two interviews, he reflects on his upbringing and education in Texas, his service in the Air Force during the Korean War, his early years on faculty at Oregon State, and some of the major themes of his scholarly research in Economics. The interview was conducted by Chris Petersen for inclusion in the History of Oregon State University Oral History Collection (OH 03), Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries.