This paper traces my climatological career from the 1950s and that of my graduate students from the late 1960s that were formative in the evolution of climate science. A summary of my early training, teaching and research in the UK is followed by activities at the University of Colorado, Boulder from 1968. The history of the World Data Center for Glaciology/National Snow and Ice Data Center from 1977 is described, and climate-cryosphere and international initiatives.