Carl Albert

Carl Bert Albert was an American Democratic politician from a small western Oklahoma coal mining town. Undeterred by his humble beginnings, his greatest ambition was to be a politician. He made it clear that everything he did from an early age was calculated towards his political aspirations. During high school he was an excellent debater and student body president. He worked his way through college at The University of Oklahoma and graduated with a political science degree. Following graduation, he studied law at Oxford University in England on a Rhodes scholarship and graduated in the early 1930s. After practicing law in Oklahoma City for a few years, he served in the United States Army during World War II. Upon returning from war, he was elected to Congress. Albert went on to become Speaker of the House of Representatives for six years. This was the highest political office held by an Oklahoman in American history. He was active in Congress during several monumental times in United States history. His political career involved dealing with vastly important issues including the Vietnam War, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the chaotic protests at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, and the Watergate Scandal under President Richard Nixon