John Beard Allen (May 18, 1845January 28, 1903) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

from 1889 to 1893. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Washington Territory's at-large congressional district Until statehood in 1889, Washington Territory elected a non-voting Delegate (United States Congress), Delegate to the United States House of Representatives, at-large. List of delegates representing the district References * * Congressiona ...

in 1889.

Early life

Allen was born in

Crawfordsville, Indiana Crawfordsville is a city in Montgomery County in west central Indiana, United States, west by northwest of Indianapolis. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 16,306. The city is the county seat of Montgomery County, the only char ...

on May 18, 1845.

Career

He served as a private in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

with the 135th Indiana Volunteers during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He earned a law degree from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

and passed the bar in 1869. He moved to Washington in 1870, and started a law practice in Olympia. He served as United States Attorney for the District of Washington (1875–1885), and as reporter for the supreme court for the Territory of Washington from 1878 to 1885. He was a Republican Delegate to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

in 1889, and after Washington achieved statehood, he was elected and served in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

from 1889 to 1893. After the legislature failed to select a Senator for the following term, Allen was appointed by the

Governor of Washington The governor of Washington is the head of government of Washington and commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.WA Const. art. III, § 2. The officeholder has a duty to enforce state laws,WA Const. art. III, § 5. the power to either a ...

, but was not seated by the Senate.The Legacy Preservation Library
via www.usgennet.org

Death and legacy

After leaving public office, Allen went into private law practice in Seattle, Washington, where he died of cardiovascular disease in 1903. John B. Allen Elementary School was dedicated in 1904, part of the Seattle School District. Seattle School District architect, James Stephens, designed the two-story, wooden building, which housed 278 students at the end of its first year. In 1917, the District opened a second brick building and enrollment increased, peaking at 758 in 1933. The school closed in June 1981.

References

External links

Retrieved on February 14, 2008
John B. Allen School
{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, John B. People from Crawfordsville, Indiana Union Army soldiers People of Indiana in the American Civil War Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Washington Territory United States Attorneys Washington (state) lawyers 1845 births 1903 deaths Washington (state) Republicans Republican Party United States senators from Washington (state) University of Michigan Law School alumni People from Olympia, Washington 19th-century American politicians