W. George Allen was the first African-American to graduate from the

University of Florida School of Law The University of Florida Fredric G. Levin College of Law (UF Law) is the law school of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest operating public law school in Florida, and second oldest overall ...

. As a child in

Sanford, Florida Sanford is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Seminole County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 61,051. Known as the "Historic Waterfront Gateway City", Sanford sits on the southern shore ...

, Allen picked vegetables. He graduated from Crooms High School. He graduated from Florida A & M University in 1958 before working for U.S. Army Intelligence, where he was the only black person. He was accepted to

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

but chose instead to become the first African-American at the University of Florida College of Law. Campus housing at Florida was not available for black people, so Allen and his wife managed to purchase a home. During his time at UF, Allen was active in the civil rights movement and attended sit-ins. He graduated in 1962. Upon graduation, Allen filed a suit that led to the integration of Broward County, Florida's public accommodations and Broward County Public Schools. After passing the bar in 1963, the family moved to

Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allen, W George Year of birth missing Year of death missing Fredric G. Levin College of Law alumni People from Sanford, Florida People from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Florida A&M University alumni