Albert W. Recht Papers

William Albert Recht was an educator and astronomer at the University of Denver from 1932 to his death in 1962. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 22, 1898 to parents Albert J. and Anna Recht. Recht attended public schools in Arvada, Colorado and graduated from the University of Denver with a B.A. in 1920 and a M.A. in 1921. He received his Ph.D in 1939 from the University of Chicago.

From 1920 to 1923, Recht was a high school principal and Spanish... and math teacher in Eckley, Colorado and Wray, Colorado. He also spent six months in Nicaragua as a surveyor, mine sampler and shift boss at a gold refining mill. He joined the faculty of the University of Denver in 1923 as an instructor of mathematics. From 1930 to 1940 he was an assistant professor and from 1940 to 1945 he was an associate professor. After 1945 he became a professor of astronomy until his death. Under Herbert Alonzo Howe’s mentorship, Recht became acting director of the observatory in 1926 and director in 1930. He wrote a popular astronomy textbook, Space Trip for the Joneses, and believed that astronomy was for everyone. Recht served as director for the next 32 years.

He was married in Denver on June 18, 1925 to Dorothy Walker. They had three children, Rodney Frank, John Albert and Janet. Recht died in Denver on January 8, 1962.