The 1980s proved to be a fertile time span in which awareness and recognition of traumatic brain injury (TBI) flourished. From a handful of specialized programs, an industry was created, public policy was changed, research and training became priority in some federal agencies, and many state governments took on the TBI agenda. Many individuals set forth ideas based on facts, data, and anecdotal experiences, all of which contributed to the development of a state and national policy agenda for traumatic head injury. There were as many factors contributing to the development of such policy as there were needs and levels of interest. Throughout this time period, the National Head Injury Foundation (NHIF) represented a diverse constituency of families, consumers, academicians, providers, and policy makers who came together to improve the quality of life for survivors of head injury and their families. Because of this focus and tenacity, our government began to respond to the NHIF. Historically, federal and state governments do respond to the efforts of singularly focused and well-led advocacy movements. This article will review events that impacted the development of such policy and opened the gates to research, training, and service delivery still in effect today.