Carl Albert - Early Years, Education

Early Years, Education

Albert was born in McAlester, Oklahoma. Shortly after his birth his family moved to a small town just north of McAlester called Bugtussle. He was the son of a coal miner and farmer and grew up in a log cabin on his father's farm. In high school he excelled in debate, was student body president, and won the national high school oratorical contest, earning a trip to Europe. During this time he was an active member of his local Order of DeMolay chapter. Albert later petitioned his local Masonic Lodge and became an active Freemason. He entered the University of Oklahoma in 1927, where he majored in political science, and won the National Oratorical Championship in 1928, winning an all expense paid trip to Europe. He earned enough money to fund the rest of his undergraduate education. While at Oklahoma, he was an accomplished amateur wrestler and a member of the Kappa Alpha Order Greek letter fraternity and a member of the all male spirit club, RUF/NEKS. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1931, was the top male student, then studied at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Bachelor of Civil Laws from St Peter's College, returned to the United States in 1934 and opened a law practice in Oklahoma City in 1935. He worked for a series of oil companies in leasing work, until the start of World War II.