Born in 1907 to Swedish immigrants in Biwabik, Minnesota, Harold "Hal" W. Almen graduated with a degree chemical engineering from Ohio State University before serving as major in the United States Army Air Corps. Settling down in Oklahoma following his military career, Almen founded two successful companies, The Bucket Shop and Almen Family Photo, where he served as company president from 1966 to 1981.
As a longtime charter member and president of the West Oklahoma City Rotary Club, Hal lived every day by the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self." Hal remained a loyal member until his death in 2002, when left a $1.3 million gift in his estate for the club to establish a scholarship program for Oklahoma high school seniors.
In 2004, the H.W. Almen/West OKC Rotary Scholarship was established at the Oklahoma City Community Foundation to support scholarships for students statewide.