The Albright Institute

The Albright Institute is a private foundation that gathers information about superhumans for scientific research and study. It was established by Langston Albright, alias Beacon, a member of the Liberty League before his retirement from heroics in the 1950s. The Institute’s ostensive purpose is to increase knowledge and understanding of superhumans, but it also has several functions that the general public isn’t aware of.
One objective is to have information on superhumans available in case something should go wrong. Albright himself understands the risks of a superhero abusing his powers or falling under the influence of an outside force, so it’s wise to have precautions in place. He’s careful to ensure the Institute’s data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, where it could be used against heroes (although that is always a possibility).
The Institute’s other purpose is to find Albright’s successor as Beacon. His light-based powers stem from a mystical source and are intended to hold certain forces of darkness at bay. Langston Albright has grown too old to effectively wield that power and uses it now solely to stay alive while he searches for a worthy successor. Thus far, his search has been unsuccessful, and he’s beginning to feel his time is growing short.
The Albright Institute occupies a small four-story office park in Hanover, where their personnel catalog information and perform research related to supers and paranormal phenomena in the Freedom City area. The facility is the Institute’s primary data processing, administrative, and research site, with smaller research facilities in other cities. The Institute has also benefited from government grants, giving them greater opportunities to study the effects of superhumans on all aspects of society. Aside from the Freedom Medical Center, the Institute is one of the few places equipped to handle superhuman medical care.

Type

Educational, Scientific Institute