The dispersive optical model (DOM) provides a natural connection between the shell model potential for bound states and the optical model for nucleon scattering at positive energies. At TUNL we have developed DOMs for neutron scattering for ten nuclei between 27Al and 209Bi. In these studies we rely on TUNL measurements of differential cross-section (σ(θ)) and analyzing power, as well as a wealth of σ(θ) and total cross section measurements from numerous other laboratories. In this paper we briefly outline the DOM method and the achievements in describing scattering data for n + 208Pb and n + 209Bi and single-particle bound-state data for neutrons in 208Pb. © 1993.