Carl Albert
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Carl Bert Albert (May 10, 1908 - February 4, 2000) was a lawyer and American politician from Oklahoma. He is most well-known for his service as Speaker of the House from 1971 to 1977. Known as the "Little Giant from Little Dixie," he held the highest political office of any Oklahoman in history. (see also: Little Dixie)
He represented the southeastern portion of Oklahoma as a Democrat for thirty years, starting in 1947. He was a Cold War liberal, supporting President Harry S. Truman's containment of Soviet expansionism, as well as such domestic measures as public housing, federal aid to education, and farm price supports.
As Speaker of the House, Albert was next in line to assume the presidency following the resignation of Vice President Spiro Agnew. As the Watergate crisis began to unfold, many believed that President Richard Nixon would resign before Congress could appoint a replacement, which would have made Albert his successor.
Albert was confronted with the question of whether it was appropriate for a Democrat to assume the nation's highest office when there was a public mandate for it to be held by the opposing party. Albert considered that he had no right to a White House that the American people had entrusted to a Republican. He thus announced that should he need to assume the presidency, he would do so only in an acting capacity, and would resign immediately after Congress appointed a Republican Vice President. Though the scenario never panned out, Albert nevertheless established an important precedent. The precedent, if such, flies in the face of all previous successions.
Albert never was confronted with the issue of succession. However, during his last term in office, he was confronted with the Tongsun Park scandal and was accused of having accepted bribes from a lobbyist who was also a member of South Korean intelligence. Albert decided to retire at the end of the Congress.
Early history
He was born Carl Bert Albert in McAlester, Oklahoma, the son of a coal miner and farmer. At high school he excelled in debate and was student body president. He entered the University of Oklahoma in 1927, where he majored in political science and won the National Oratorical Championship in 1928. While at Oklahoma, he was an accomplished amateur wrestler. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1931, then studied at the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship. He returned to the U.S. and in 1935 practiced law in Oklahoma City.
Albert joined the Army Air Force in 1941, winning a Bronze Star.
Other Information
Carl Albert State College is a small educational insitution in Le Flore County. It is named for Albert.
| Preceded by: John W. McCormack | Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives January 21, 1971 – January 3, 1975; January 14, 1975 – January 3, 1977 | Succeeded by: Tip O'Neill |