Horace Marden Albright, a conservationist who was a co-founder and second director of the National Park Service, died of heart failure Mar. 28, 1987 at a convalescent home in Los Angeles. He was 97 years old. Albright had known conservationist John Muir and had worked on issues concerning the National Parks with seven presidents, including Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1912 and in 1914 he received a law degree from the Georgetown University Law School.
Mr. Albright joined the Interior Department in 1913 as assistant to the Secretary Franklin K. Lane. He served as the first civilian superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, from 1919 to 1929.
He was appointed director of the National Park Service in 1929. In four years in that post he fought successfully for establishment of three national parks in the area of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Tetons and Carlsbad Caverns.
Horace Albright really set the stage for the development of the National Park Service," said William Penn Mott, the current Director of the agency, which Albright administered from 1929 to 1933. "He was an inspiration right up until the end," Director Mott said. "I got little type-written notes from him constantly. The last note was hand written; he said he couldn't type any more."
"He loved to talk to the young rangers, and they just idolized him," said Jean Bray, a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is part of the National Parks Service.
He left the Park Service in 1933 to join the United States Potash Company and was its president when he retired in 1956, though he remained active in park and conservation issues.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter awarded Albright the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Mr. Albright, who lived in Studio City, Calif., is survived by a daughter, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Albright's memorial service in 1987 was held at the Peter Strauss Ranch, which became part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Those attending represented a wide range of conservationist and historical groups, including the National Geographic Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, Colonial Williamsburg, the Death Valley 49ers and the Jackson Hole Museum and Historical Society.
There is a cenotaph for Mr. Albright at the Peter Strauss ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains (see Find A Grave memorial 42533340).
He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1912 and in 1914 he received a law degree from the Georgetown University Law School.
Mr. Albright joined the Interior Department in 1913 as assistant to the Secretary Franklin K. Lane. He served as the first civilian superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, from 1919 to 1929.
He was appointed director of the National Park Service in 1929. In four years in that post he fought successfully for establishment of three national parks in the area of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Tetons and Carlsbad Caverns.
Horace Albright really set the stage for the development of the National Park Service," said William Penn Mott, the current Director of the agency, which Albright administered from 1929 to 1933. "He was an inspiration right up until the end," Director Mott said. "I got little type-written notes from him constantly. The last note was hand written; he said he couldn't type any more."
"He loved to talk to the young rangers, and they just idolized him," said Jean Bray, a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is part of the National Parks Service.
He left the Park Service in 1933 to join the United States Potash Company and was its president when he retired in 1956, though he remained active in park and conservation issues.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter awarded Albright the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Mr. Albright, who lived in Studio City, Calif., is survived by a daughter, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Albright's memorial service in 1987 was held at the Peter Strauss Ranch, which became part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Those attending represented a wide range of conservationist and historical groups, including the National Geographic Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, Colonial Williamsburg, the Death Valley 49ers and the Jackson Hole Museum and Historical Society.
There is a cenotaph for Mr. Albright at the Peter Strauss ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains (see Find A Grave memorial 42533340).
Horace Marden Albright, a conservationist who was a co-founder and second director of the National Park Service, died of heart failure Mar. 28, 1987 at a convalescent home in Los Angeles. He was 97 years old. Albright had known conservationist John Muir and had worked on issues concerning the National Parks with seven presidents, including Theodore and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1912 and in 1914 he received a law degree from the Georgetown University Law School.
Mr. Albright joined the Interior Department in 1913 as assistant to the Secretary Franklin K. Lane. He served as the first civilian superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, from 1919 to 1929.
He was appointed director of the National Park Service in 1929. In four years in that post he fought successfully for establishment of three national parks in the area of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Tetons and Carlsbad Caverns.
Horace Albright really set the stage for the development of the National Park Service," said William Penn Mott, the current Director of the agency, which Albright administered from 1929 to 1933. "He was an inspiration right up until the end," Director Mott said. "I got little type-written notes from him constantly. The last note was hand written; he said he couldn't type any more."
"He loved to talk to the young rangers, and they just idolized him," said Jean Bray, a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is part of the National Parks Service.
He left the Park Service in 1933 to join the United States Potash Company and was its president when he retired in 1956, though he remained active in park and conservation issues.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter awarded Albright the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Mr. Albright, who lived in Studio City, Calif., is survived by a daughter, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Albright's memorial service in 1987 was held at the Peter Strauss Ranch, which became part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Those attending represented a wide range of conservationist and historical groups, including the National Geographic Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, Colonial Williamsburg, the Death Valley 49ers and the Jackson Hole Museum and Historical Society.
There is a cenotaph for Mr. Albright at the Peter Strauss ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains (see Find A Grave memorial 42533340).
He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1912 and in 1914 he received a law degree from the Georgetown University Law School.
Mr. Albright joined the Interior Department in 1913 as assistant to the Secretary Franklin K. Lane. He served as the first civilian superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, from 1919 to 1929.
He was appointed director of the National Park Service in 1929. In four years in that post he fought successfully for establishment of three national parks in the area of the Great Smoky Mountains, the Grand Tetons and Carlsbad Caverns.
Horace Albright really set the stage for the development of the National Park Service," said William Penn Mott, the current Director of the agency, which Albright administered from 1929 to 1933. "He was an inspiration right up until the end," Director Mott said. "I got little type-written notes from him constantly. The last note was hand written; he said he couldn't type any more."
"He loved to talk to the young rangers, and they just idolized him," said Jean Bray, a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, which is part of the National Parks Service.
He left the Park Service in 1933 to join the United States Potash Company and was its president when he retired in 1956, though he remained active in park and conservation issues.
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter awarded Albright the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Mr. Albright, who lived in Studio City, Calif., is survived by a daughter, a daughter-in-law, four grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
Albright's memorial service in 1987 was held at the Peter Strauss Ranch, which became part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Those attending represented a wide range of conservationist and historical groups, including the National Geographic Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, Colonial Williamsburg, the Death Valley 49ers and the Jackson Hole Museum and Historical Society.
There is a cenotaph for Mr. Albright at the Peter Strauss ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains (see Find A Grave memorial 42533340).
Inscription
National Park Service Memorial Ceremony Honoring Horace Marden Albright January 6, 1890 - March 28, 1987 "His footprints are on the United States and the World because all other national park systems are modeled on the one he built." April 4, 1987 Peter Strauss Ranch (Lake Enchanto) Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California
Gravesite Details
Cenotaph Peter Strauss Ranch (Lake Enchanto) Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California 91310
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