~ Humanitarian ~ Researcher ~ Visionary ~ best known today for his role as cofounder of the Peace Corps. In 1960-1961, he was the director of the U.S. Congressional study on the Point 4 Youth Corps. He and two fellow Colorado State University researchers published their extensive research findings in the form of a book, "New Frontiers for American Youth: Perspective of the Peace Corps". This book is the blueprint for the Peace Corps, which was officially launched in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. He also founded VillageEarth, a nonprofit entity that focuses on the idea of sustainable village development and partners with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) at Colorado State University to make the people and resources of CSU accessible to community development projects around the world. He came to Colorado State University (then Colorado A&M) in 1947 to help boost the Department of Civil Engineering's civil engineering and new hydraulics programs. His innovative work as a professor was a major factor in the development of CSU into a prestigious research university and, by 1958, he had advanced from his position as a professor in the College of Engineering to that of Director of the Colorado State Research Foundation (CSURF), Vice-President of Research, and was overseer of all research projects at the school. During his half-century plus at Colorado State University, he served in numerous key positions, including that of Director of International Programs. Dr. Albertson was pressed into service as a consultant to the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Association for India's Development, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the Peace Corps and other agencies to assess and advise on projects and programs dealing with environmental engineering, water and sanitation, water resource development, on-farm water management, appropriate technology, village development, small industry development, as well as research and education in virtually every related area. In addition to coauthoring "New Frontiers for American Youth: Perspective of the Peace Corps", he also wrote books on fluid mechanics, hydraulic engineering and the research of paranormal phenomena. He published in more than 200 publications. His professional skills reached beyond education into areas of the hydrogen economy, environmental engineering, hydropower engineering, water resources engineering, irrigation engineering, low-cost and low-energy sustainable wastewater treatment, constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment and international development - specializing in sustainable village-based development.
In 2006, Colorado State University bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters upon Dr. Albertson.
His numerous other honors and awards include:
American Society of Civil Engineers:
J. C. Stevens Award
Emil Hilgard Prize
Croes Medal
Honorary Membership
Lifetime Achievement Award
Colorado State University, College of Engineering:
Centennial Professor and Public Service Award
Professor Emeritus
Colorado Governor's Award of Merit for Science and Technology
Peshawar University of Pakistan, Honorary Doctor of Laws
Asian Institute of Technology, Honorary Doctor of Technology
Lowell University, Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
Iowa State University, Professional Achievement Award
National Society of Professional Engineers, Engineer of the Year
Albertson also received the E-chievement Award from etown, a weekly NPR radio broadcast. This award honors noteworthy individuals who are working hard to make a positive difference in their communities and beyond.
His educational background includes Fort Hays State College (now University) in Kansas - graduation from Iowa State University in 1941, a PhD in Civil (Hydraulic) Engineering earned at the University of Iowa and a second doctorate from the University of Grenoble, France in 1954.
He was honored in 2008 in the U.S. Senate on the occasion of his 90th birthday. In December 2008, Dr. Albertson traveled to Indonesia for a VillageEarth educational mission. He fell ill shortly after his return to America and died on January 11, 2009 in Fort Collins, Colorado. His first wife, "Dolly" Campbell preceded him in death in 1976. He is survived by his second wife, three daughters, a sister and their respective families, (Private).

Quote from Today@Colorado State, Thursday, January 22, 2009:
"We need to be motivated by service as well as by profit," Albertson once said. "We serve best by finding out what people want and helping them work to realize their dreams, not by going into a country and telling villagers what they need."