Notes:
Algol was not the first high level language, but it was the first that was defined with the mathematical precision and the generality, one might say generosity, that was lacking from the programming practice of the time. In a way Naur, with his name misspelled as the editor of the Algol 60 report, served the same complex role - combining the talents of a mathematician, an engineer, and a teacher - that von Neumann played in his famous report.
So influential was Algol 60 - that one scientist called it an improvement not only over its predecessors but an improvement over its successors as well.
NIB recognized the importance of Algol and supported the development of a compiler and run-time system for it. This effort was led by Peter Naur who was helped by a very able team (slide..)