Penelope Claire Hartland begins this interview by focusing on her education. She describes her academic achievements at Pembroke College, as well as the significance of being the only Pembroke student to concentrate in economics. She details her educational and social experiences at both Pembroke and Radcliffe, where she received her Ph.D. The interview then transitions to Hartland's career, which began with a teaching appointment in Brown's Department of Economics. She describes her interview with Brown University President Henry Wriston. Hartland later worked as a researcher and analyst at the CIA and the Council of Economic Advisers. In 1963 she was appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate as Commissioner of the Tariff Commission (now the International Trade Commission), the first woman to serve as a Commissioner and one of the few women in high positions in government at the time. Hartland goes on to discuss serving as the Chair of President Lyndon Johnson's group on women's issues, and her involvement on the Brown University Corporation. Throughout this interview, she notes the sexism she faced in various academic and professional situations.