Horace M Albright (1890-1987) received the Pugsley Gold Medal for his work in National Park Service. He was born in Bishop, California and graduated with law degree from the University of California in 1912. He went to Washington in 1913 as a 23-year old to clerk for a year for one of his former professors at the University of California who had been appointed as an assistant secretary of the Interior Department. In 1919, Albright at the age of 29, moved from Washington D.C to become the first civilian superintendent of Yellowstone while remaining field assistant director of the NPS. When Albright became director of the NPS in 1929 there were 21 national parks, 33 national monumnets and a budget of $9 million. The celebration in 1932 of the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington provided Albright with an opportunity. In his four year tenure, Albright more than doubled the number of the areas managed by the NPS.
He was a patriarch of the national parks.He was a trustee of Colonial Williamsburg Foundation from 1934-1958, and Jackson Hole Preserve, Inc. from 1945-1977. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1980 by Presedent Jimmy Carter. This is the highest civilian honor awarded in the U.S. The NPS established the Horace M. Albright training center at Grand Canyon National Park in 1963. He received Audubon Medal; Gold Medal and Medal from Camp Fire Club of America in 1962, award from Cosmos club in 1974.