Maurice L. Albertson
Encyclopedia
Maurice Lee "Maury" "Quickshot" Albertson (August 30, 1918 – January 11, 2009), PhD, civil engineer, a teacher of water resources management over a long career (starting in 1947) at Colorado State University
in Fort Collins, Colorado
and former head of the Colorado State University Research Foundation.
. There he learned from his father about helping others in a rural environment and living a life based on the Sermon on the Mount. Having witnessed economic hardship at the time of the Great Depression and seeing the effect of prolonged drought, he was inspired to focus on water resources. Albertson eventually headed all research projects at CSU. He received a B.S. degree from Iowa State University, Ames, earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanics and hydraulics from The University of Iowa, and received a D.Phys.Sc. degree from the University of Grenoble in France. His first wife, Dolly (Myrtle Marie Campbell originally of Waterloo, IA), died in 1976. His second wife, Audrey Faulkner, who survived him, is co-author on some of his publications.
Albertson has been credited with changing the face of U.S. volunteerism. He recalled that the phone rang at 2 AM on a 1961 morning, and that when he answered he found himself talking to Sargent Shriver, first director of the Peace Corps. Shriver was calling to ask him about a CSURF study on creating a youth volunteer group. Shriver apologized for the hour, but said he'd been working on the program all night and had worked his way to Albertson on his list of people to call. He wanted Albertson to come to Washington immediately. The CSURF research Albertson oversaw was used in setting up the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps remained true to the original vision in Albertson's opinion.
Albertson served as a consultant to the World Bank
, the United Nations Development Programme
, USAID, UNESCO
, and other agencies. His focuses have included water resource development, environmental engineering, water and sanitation, on-farm water management, village development, appropriate technology, and small industry development. Climate change has recently been one of his concerns.[4] His honors include: American Society of Civil Engineers, J. C. Stevens Award; Emil Hilgard Prize; Croes Medal; CSU Centennial Professor and Public Service Award; Peshawar University of Pakistan, Honorary Doctor of Laws; Asian Institute of Technology, Honorary Doctor of Technology; Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Lowell University; Colorado Governor’s Award of Merit for Science and Technology; honorary doctorate from Colorado State University; National Society of Professional Engineers Engineer of the Year; Iowa State University Professional Achievement Award. Albertson also received the E-chievement Award from a town, a weekly NPR radio broadcast. The award honors noteworthy individuals who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond. He was president and co-founder of Village Earth, the Consortium for Sustainable Village-Based Development, and worked almost until the moment of his death on plans for the organization. He has more than 200 publications. He was honored in the U.S. Senate on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
in Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
and former head of the Colorado State University Research Foundation.
Biography
He was born and grew up in Hays, KansasHays, Kansas
Hays is a city in and the county seat of Ellis County, Kansas, United States. The largest city in northwestern Kansas, it is the economic and cultural center of the region. It is also a college town, home to Fort Hays State University...
. There he learned from his father about helping others in a rural environment and living a life based on the Sermon on the Mount. Having witnessed economic hardship at the time of the Great Depression and seeing the effect of prolonged drought, he was inspired to focus on water resources. Albertson eventually headed all research projects at CSU. He received a B.S. degree from Iowa State University, Ames, earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mechanics and hydraulics from The University of Iowa, and received a D.Phys.Sc. degree from the University of Grenoble in France. His first wife, Dolly (Myrtle Marie Campbell originally of Waterloo, IA), died in 1976. His second wife, Audrey Faulkner, who survived him, is co-author on some of his publications.
Albertson has been credited with changing the face of U.S. volunteerism. He recalled that the phone rang at 2 AM on a 1961 morning, and that when he answered he found himself talking to Sargent Shriver, first director of the Peace Corps. Shriver was calling to ask him about a CSURF study on creating a youth volunteer group. Shriver apologized for the hour, but said he'd been working on the program all night and had worked his way to Albertson on his list of people to call. He wanted Albertson to come to Washington immediately. The CSURF research Albertson oversaw was used in setting up the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps remained true to the original vision in Albertson's opinion.
Albertson served as a consultant to the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
, the United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
, USAID, UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, and other agencies. His focuses have included water resource development, environmental engineering, water and sanitation, on-farm water management, village development, appropriate technology, and small industry development. Climate change has recently been one of his concerns.[4] His honors include: American Society of Civil Engineers, J. C. Stevens Award; Emil Hilgard Prize; Croes Medal; CSU Centennial Professor and Public Service Award; Peshawar University of Pakistan, Honorary Doctor of Laws; Asian Institute of Technology, Honorary Doctor of Technology; Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, Lowell University; Colorado Governor’s Award of Merit for Science and Technology; honorary doctorate from Colorado State University; National Society of Professional Engineers Engineer of the Year; Iowa State University Professional Achievement Award. Albertson also received the E-chievement Award from a town, a weekly NPR radio broadcast. The award honors noteworthy individuals who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond. He was president and co-founder of Village Earth, the Consortium for Sustainable Village-Based Development, and worked almost until the moment of his death on plans for the organization. He has more than 200 publications. He was honored in the U.S. Senate on the occasion of his 90th birthday.
See also
- Appropriate TechnologyAppropriate technologyAppropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...
- Local foodLocal foodLocal food or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular...
- Sustainable agricultureSustainable agricultureSustainable agriculture is the practice of farming using principles of ecology, the study of relationships between organisms and their environment...
- Sustainable food system
- Volunteerism
- Civil engineeringCivil engineeringCivil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
- Peace CorpsPeace CorpsThe Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
- Colorado State UniversityColorado State UniversityColorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
- Water resourcesWater resourcesWater resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
- Land-grant universities
- Village EarthVillage EarthVillage Earth: The Consortium for Sustainable Village-Based Development DBA: Village Earth is a publicly supported 501 non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Fort Collins, Colorado...