HORACE MARDEN ALBRIGHT
Horace Albright was born in Bishop, California, January 6,1890. He attended the
University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1912. While confidential
secretary to Secretary of the Interior Franklin Lane, he attended night school
at Georgetown University to attain his law degree, and was admitted to the bar
in the District of Columbia and California. He was appointed assistant director
of the National Park Service when it was established, but was also acting
director from 1917 to 1919 when first Director Stephen Mather was absent with
severe illness. Other career mile stones included: superintendent of Yellowstone
National Park and assistant director, field (1919-1929); director of National
Park Service (1929-1933); vice president and later president of United States
Potash Company (1933-1956). He married his college classmate, Grace Noble, with
whom he had two children, Robert and Marian, four grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
He died in Van Nuys, California, March 28, 1987.
Beginning his career in Washington, D.C., Albright quickly rose from clerk to
assistant solicitor and then secretary to Mather. During the summer of 1916,
while Mather was away in the West, Albright attended meetings and discussions on
the Park Service bill and saw it through to enactment. Four months later, Mather
was hospitalized, and Albright, as acting director, organized the new bureau,
set policies and procedures, and lobbied Congress for appropriations. He wrote
the so-called "creed" for the National Park Service which appeared as a letter
from Secretary Lane to Mather. Then as superintendent of Yellowstone, he also
served as assistant director, field. When Yellowstone was closed in the winter,
his job was to oversee all national park areas west of the Mississippi River as
well as serve three on four months each year in the Washington Office.
In 1929 Albright was named director and instituted two far-reaching policies —
expansion of national park areas throughout the states east of the Mississippi
River and introduction of historic preservation into the National Park Service.
In April 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt agreed to Albright's request for the
transfer to the Park Service of national monuments from the Agriculture
Department and military parks from the War Department. With most of his goals
realized, Albright resigned to become vice president, and later, president of
the United States Potash Company. He remained with the company until his
retirement in 1956.
Horace Albright will be revered for his great contributions to a variety of
causes, but perhaps he will be best remembered for his integrity, honesty, sense
of humor, idealistic fighting spirit, loyalty, and devotion to his beloved
National Park Service, which he had helped to found in 1916.
Horace Albright was born in Bishop, California, January 6,1890. He attended the
University of California, Berkeley, graduating in 1912. While confidential
secretary to Secretary of the Interior Franklin Lane, he attended night school
at Georgetown University to attain his law degree, and was admitted to the bar
in the District of Columbia and California. He was appointed assistant director
of the National Park Service when it was established, but was also acting
director from 1917 to 1919 when first Director Stephen Mather was absent with
severe illness. Other career mile stones included: superintendent of Yellowstone
National Park and assistant director, field (1919-1929); director of National
Park Service (1929-1933); vice president and later president of United States
Potash Company (1933-1956). He married his college classmate, Grace Noble, with
whom he had two children, Robert and Marian, four grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.
He died in Van Nuys, California, March 28, 1987.
Beginning his career in Washington, D.C., Albright quickly rose from clerk to
assistant solicitor and then secretary to Mather. During the summer of 1916,
while Mather was away in the West, Albright attended meetings and discussions on
the Park Service bill and saw it through to enactment. Four months later, Mather
was hospitalized, and Albright, as acting director, organized the new bureau,
set policies and procedures, and lobbied Congress for appropriations. He wrote
the so-called "creed" for the National Park Service which appeared as a letter
from Secretary Lane to Mather. Then as superintendent of Yellowstone, he also
served as assistant director, field. When Yellowstone was closed in the winter,
his job was to oversee all national park areas west of the Mississippi River as
well as serve three on four months each year in the Washington Office.
In 1929 Albright was named director and instituted two far-reaching policies —
expansion of national park areas throughout the states east of the Mississippi
River and introduction of historic preservation into the National Park Service.
In April 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt agreed to Albright's request for the
transfer to the Park Service of national monuments from the Agriculture
Department and military parks from the War Department. With most of his goals
realized, Albright resigned to become vice president, and later, president of
the United States Potash Company. He remained with the company until his
retirement in 1956.
Horace Albright will be revered for his great contributions to a variety of
causes, but perhaps he will be best remembered for his integrity, honesty, sense
of humor, idealistic fighting spirit, loyalty, and devotion to his beloved
National Park Service, which he had helped to found in 1916.