R .C. Geary's association with The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) was a long and fruitful one. He was the first Director of the Institute which began in 1960 as The Economic Research Institute (ERI), but by the time he retired as Director in 1966 had added a social research wing to make it the ESRI. Although at the latter date he was 70 years old, he continued as an active member of the research staff right up to his death in 1983. As Spencer (1983) has pointed out, more than half of his 112 publications were produced during his career at the Institute. This article outlines his contribution to the formation of the Institute, especially in the critical early years.