Albert Rosellini

Who was Albert Rosellini?

Albert Dean Rosellini was an American politician, the 15th governor of the state of Washington for two terms, from 1957 to 1965, and was the first Italian American and Catholic governor elected west of the Mississippi River.

During a political career that spanned 40 years, Rosellini was an activist leader who worked to reform the state's prisons and mental health facilities, expand the state highway system, create the University of Washington's medical and dental schools, and build the second floating bridge across Lake Washington.

Rosellini is the longest-lived U.S. state governor ever, having reached the age of 101 years, 262 days.