ALBURN, WILFRED HENRY (20 April 1877-9 Sept. 1952), was an author, editor, publisher, journalist, and historian. With his wife, Miriam, he wrote a 4-volume history, This Cleveland of Ours (1933) (see HISTORIES OF CLEVELAND). Alburn was born in Lawrence County, PA, to John Frederick and Cecelia Luebben Alburn. He grew up in Youngstown, OH, and graduated from Rayen High School there. In 1902 he graduated from Adelbert College, Western Reserve University (WRU, see CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY). Alburn then worked for the PLAIN DEALER, first as reporter, then as Sunday editor, and finally, as editorial writer. In 1910 he joined the staff of the Boston Traveler. On 17 May 1911 Alburn married Miriam Russell of Cleveland; they had 2 children, David and Miriam. In 1914, while living in New York, the couple founded the Alburn Bureau, an independent, nonpartisan syndicate that provided editorial services for subscribing daily papers. The Alburns moved to ROCKY RIVER in 1917 and expanded the enterprise from their home, located first on Frazier Dr. and later on West Lake Ave. The bureau distributed articles and commentary on world and domestic affairs, features, and human-interest editorials 3 times a week to papers in over 120 cities. The bureau's client papers had a combined circulation of over 1.6 million. Alburn retired from the Alburn Bureau towards the end of his life, because of illness; Miriam Alburn continued the bureau until selling it in 1956. Wilfred Alburn, who wrote the words to "Dear Old Reserve," WRU's alma mater, died in Cleveland.
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