Sociologist Willard Waller, writing more than 50 years ago, framed many of the key ideas found in contemporary literature on school organization. This paper is both an appreciation and criticism of Waller's seminal case studies of social interaction in schools. The paper is divided into four sections. The first two explore Waller's thought and its implications for school life in intraorganizational terms, first with regard to internal relationships among participants, then in connection with school cultures. The third examines environmental influences while the fourth considers Waller's vision of what schools ought to be, his thoughts on implementation, and the connection between his recommendations and his analysis. (TE)