The role of the on-going social father in America has received increased attention in the last quarter century. In some quarters, the U.S. father has been viewed as supernumerary or optional. In other quarters, the U.S. father has been perceived to be essential to the optimum development of his children. Still other factions have been intermediate in the evaluation of the father status-role complex. It is suggested in this article that the sheer presence of an on-going biological & residential social father enhances his children's (minimal) education attainment by biasing his children's tendency to graduate from high school. His presence, rather than his employment status, seems to be the more potent variable. (Contains 4 tables and 3 endnotes.)