Joe Albertson
Encyclopedia
Joseph Albert "Joe" Albertson (October 17, 1906 – January 20, 1993) was the founder of the Albertsons
chain of grocery stores and a notable philanthropist
.
Albertson was born in Yukon
, Oklahoma Territory
. He was one of four sons born to Rhoda and Earl Albertson. Before he was three, the family moved to Caldwell
, Idaho
, in 1909, where Joe grew up.
After graduating from Caldwell High School in 1925, Albertson studied business for two years at the College of Idaho in Caldwell. While in college in 1927, he began his career in the grocery industry as a clerk at a local Safeway
store. In 1930, Joe married his college classmate Kathryn McCurry
, of Boise, Idaho
. They had one daughter, Barbara Jean Newman.
Albertson quickly moved through the ranks with Safeway, until he was supervising more than a dozen stores. But he was not satisfied and wanted to start his own store—one that he could build to his own specifications and manage his own way. With $5,000 of the money he and Kathryn had saved, and with $7,500 borrowed from his wife's aunt, Albertson formed a partnership with L.S. Skaggs
, a former Safeway division manager, and Tom Cuthbert, Skaggs' accountant. At the age of 32, Albertson opened his store in 1939 on three principles: quality, good value, and excellent service. Albertson is credited as being one of the pioneers of the complete one-stop, self-service supermarket concept.
Albertson opened his second and third Albertsons stores in Nampa
and Caldwell, Idaho in 1940. During the years of World War II
, when food was being rationed, he filled the empty shelves with health and beauty products, general household goods and other non-food items.
Albertson's reputation for generosity and community involvement grew during those war years. His stores promoted war bonds and sponsored scrap drives that collected aluminum, steel
, fats, and paper
for recycling
.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Albertson's expanded and became a familiar name to shoppers throughout the western United States.
Albertson's generosity continued throughout the years. The College of Idaho received many donations from Joe and Kathryn. It was named Albertson College of Idaho for sixteen years from 1991 to 2007. Perhaps the most obvious gift to the citizens of Idaho is the 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) Kathryn Albertson Park with its winding walkways, wildflowers, trees and ponds.
In 1966, Joe and Kathryn established the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation as a way to administer their own charitable giving. They focused their giving primarily on education, which was important to Joe and Kathryn because neither was able to finish college during the Great Depression
. Since then, the foundation has given more than $240 million to Idaho's communities and education systems. The foundation continues to give to charities, primarily in areas where Joe and Kathryn lived or worked in Idaho.
Joe Albertson died in January 1993 at the age of 86. As a tribute to Albertson, a television special about his life was aired on KTVB
, the NBC
affiliate based in Boise, Idaho.
Albertsons
Albertsons is a supermarket chain that operates 463 grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Louisiana, Nevada, Southern California, Florida and certain parts of Utah. Supermarket News ranked parent company SuperValu number five in the 2007 "Top 75 North American Food...
chain of grocery stores and a notable philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Albertson was born in Yukon
Yukon, Oklahoma
Yukon is a city in Canadian County, Oklahoma, United States and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 22,709 at the 2010 census....
, Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
The Territory of Oklahoma was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 2, 1890, until November 16, 1907, when it was joined with the Indian Territory under a new constitution and admitted to the Union as the State of Oklahoma.-Organization:Oklahoma Territory's...
. He was one of four sons born to Rhoda and Earl Albertson. Before he was three, the family moved to Caldwell
Caldwell, Idaho
Caldwell is a city in and the county seat of Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 43,281, as of July 2009.Caldwell is the home of the College of Idaho. It is considered part of the Boise metropolitan area....
, Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
, in 1909, where Joe grew up.
After graduating from Caldwell High School in 1925, Albertson studied business for two years at the College of Idaho in Caldwell. While in college in 1927, he began his career in the grocery industry as a clerk at a local Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
store. In 1930, Joe married his college classmate Kathryn McCurry
Kathryn Albertson
Kathryn Albertson was the wife of the founder of the Albertsons chain of grocery stores and a notable philanthropist....
, of Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
. They had one daughter, Barbara Jean Newman.
Albertson quickly moved through the ranks with Safeway, until he was supervising more than a dozen stores. But he was not satisfied and wanted to start his own store—one that he could build to his own specifications and manage his own way. With $5,000 of the money he and Kathryn had saved, and with $7,500 borrowed from his wife's aunt, Albertson formed a partnership with L.S. Skaggs
Skaggs family
]The Skaggs Family, starting from a small frontier town in southern Idaho, came to have an important impact on merchandising across much of the United States. During most of the 20th century, the Skaggs name became prominent on hundreds of store fronts throughout the West...
, a former Safeway division manager, and Tom Cuthbert, Skaggs' accountant. At the age of 32, Albertson opened his store in 1939 on three principles: quality, good value, and excellent service. Albertson is credited as being one of the pioneers of the complete one-stop, self-service supermarket concept.
Albertson opened his second and third Albertsons stores in Nampa
Nampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
and Caldwell, Idaho in 1940. During the years of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when food was being rationed, he filled the empty shelves with health and beauty products, general household goods and other non-food items.
Albertson's reputation for generosity and community involvement grew during those war years. His stores promoted war bonds and sponsored scrap drives that collected aluminum, steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, fats, and paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
for recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Albertson's expanded and became a familiar name to shoppers throughout the western United States.
Albertson's generosity continued throughout the years. The College of Idaho received many donations from Joe and Kathryn. It was named Albertson College of Idaho for sixteen years from 1991 to 2007. Perhaps the most obvious gift to the citizens of Idaho is the 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) Kathryn Albertson Park with its winding walkways, wildflowers, trees and ponds.
In 1966, Joe and Kathryn established the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation as a way to administer their own charitable giving. They focused their giving primarily on education, which was important to Joe and Kathryn because neither was able to finish college during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Since then, the foundation has given more than $240 million to Idaho's communities and education systems. The foundation continues to give to charities, primarily in areas where Joe and Kathryn lived or worked in Idaho.
Joe Albertson died in January 1993 at the age of 86. As a tribute to Albertson, a television special about his life was aired on KTVB
KTVB
KTVB, channel 7, is the NBC-affiliated television station in Boise, Idaho, it is owned by Belo Corporation. The station broadcasts its digital signal on VHF channel 7.-History:...
, the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
affiliate based in Boise, Idaho.
External links
- The College of Idaho - a brief history from its official website