Danbury
Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut.
Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...
,
Connecticut
Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
, and graduated from
Connecticut Agricultural College
The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from Hart ...
, now the University of Connecticut, in 1916. He worked as an extension specialist for poultry husbandry at the
University of Georgia
, mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things."
, establ ...
before enlisting in the US Army and serving overseas during World War I.
Following his military service, Allen worked as poultry extension specialist first at Connecticut and then for
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
from 1921 to 1927. He served as director of research for Acetol Products in
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. He was appointed to lead the federal agricultural adjustment administration for New Jersey that same year.
On January 1, 1938, Governor
Harold G. Hoffman
Harold Giles Hoffman (February 7, 1896 – June 4, 1954) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 41st governor of New Jersey from 1935 to 1938. He also served two terms representing in the United States House of Re ...
appointed Allen to the office of state secretary of agriculture of New Jersey. A popular official and capable administrator, Allen served for 18 years under six governors, both Republicans and Democrats. As secretary of agriculture, he strengthened the connections between farmers and industry, educated the public about the role of agriculture in the state's economy, and revived the New Jersey Agricultural Association in 1940.
Allen served as secretary of the New Jersey Poultry Association, vice president of the
New Jersey Chamber of Commerce
The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce is an independent business advocacy organization based in Trenton. It represents the interests of many businesses and trade associations. It is not an agency of state or federal government.
In addition to lobbyi ...
, and director of various national agricultural organizations. He received separate commendations for distinguished service from the New Jersey Agricultural Society and from the state board of agriculture in January 1956. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in science from Rutgers in 1953. In addition, Allen served as president of UConn's alumni association from 1938 to 1940 and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1956.
Death and legacy
Allen resigned due to ill health on February 1, 1956. He died a year later of a heart attack at the
Hunterdon Medical Center
Hunterdon Medical Center is a 178-bed non-profit community hospital located in Raritan Township, New Jersey near Flemington. In 2021 it was given a grade A by the Leapfrog patient safety organization.
Hunterdon Medical Center was founded in 19 ...
.
The Willard H. Allen Memorial Auditorium at the Hunterdon Medical Center was dedicated in 1958. The University of Connecticut has a scholarship dedicated to his memory, along with a residence hall, though the hall may have been named after
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen ( – February 12, 1789) was an American farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, lay theologian, American Revolutionary War patriot, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of Vermont and for ...
instead.
A resident of the Rosemont section of Delaware Township (in Hunterdon County), Allen never married and had no children.