Mary Aileen Conquest-Allen (December 22, 1888 – September 4, 1950) was an American diver who competed in the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

. She was born on

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island (PEI; ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is the smallest province in terms of land area and population, but the most densely populated. The island has seve ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. In 1913, Allen was one of the founding members of an all-woman swimming club at the Bimini Baths in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, which was formed in response to strict dress codes imposed by other clubs. She was later elected captain of the club. Allen appeared in

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s. Her most notable role was Mrs. Westfall in the 1916

Metro Pictures Metro Pictures Corporation was a Film, motion picture production company founded in early 1915 in Jacksonville, Florida. It was a forerunner of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The company produced its films in New York, Los Angeles, and sometimes at leas ...

release ''

Mister 44 ''Mister 44'' is a 1916 American silent comedy-drama film directed by Henry Otto and starring Harold Lockwood, May Allison, Lester Cuneo, Yona Landowska, Henry Otto, and Aileen Allen. It is based on 1916 novel of the same name by E.J. Rath. The f ...

''. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she sold

war bonds War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are a ...

as a representative of

Keystone Studios Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charle ...

. In 1920, she finished fourth in the 3 metre springboard event. During the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

, Allen served as the coach for the United States women's

track and field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...

team. She coached the United States women's swim team during the

1932 Summer Olympics The 1932 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the X Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1932) were an international multi-sport event held from July 30 to August 14, 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. The Games were held duri ...

Filmography

*''

'' (1916) — as Mrs. Westfall *''

Luke and the Mermaids ''Luke and the Mermaids'' is a 1916 American short comedy film featuring Harold Lloyd. Cast * Harold Lloyd - Lonesome Luke * Snub Pollard * Bebe Daniels * Charles Stevenson - (as Charles E. Stevenson) * Billy Fay * Fred C. Newmeyer * Sammy ...

'' (1916) *''

Luke's Speedy Club Life ''Luke's Speedy Club Life'' is a 1916 American short comedy film starring Harold Lloyd. Cast * Harold Lloyd as Lonesome Luke * Snub Pollard as Bellhop * Bebe Daniels as The Girl * Charles Stevenson (as Charles E. Stevenson) * Billy Fay * Fred ...

'' (1916) *''Mutual Weekly, No. 37'' (1915) — as herself *''Settled at the Seaside'' (1915) — as girl on pier (uncredited) *''Those Bitter Sweets'' (1915) — as beach girl at picnic (uncredited) *''He Got Himself a Wife'' (1915) — as Sophia *''Their Husbands'' (1913) — as herself

References

External links

Aileen Allen's obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, Aileen 1888 births 1950 deaths American female divers Olympic divers of the United States Divers at the 1920 Summer Olympics