The Biographical Dictionary of America/Allen, Jerome

ALLEN, Jerome, educator, was born in Westminster, Vt., July 17, 1830; son of David and Eliza (Graves) Allen; grandson of Silas Allen of Heath, Mass., and a descendant of the Allens of Devonshire, England. He was graduated at Amherst college in 1851; studied theology at East Windsor Hill theological seminary (Hartford theological seminary), 1851-'52; was principal of the academy at Maquoketa, Iowa, 1854; professor of natural sciences in Alexander college, Dubuque, Iowa, 1855-'58; principal of Bowen collegiate institute, 1858-'61; founder and president of Lenox college, Hopkinton, Iowa, 1861-'68. He was the organizer of normal institutes in Iowa and was one of the charter members of the Iowa state teachers' association, and also for a time, editor of the Iowa Journal of Education. He was institute conductor in New York state in 1869-'70; professor of natural sciences, state normal school, Geneseo, N.Y., 1780-81; editor of Barnes's Educational Monthly, 1876-'80; president of the New York state teachers' association, 1880; president of the normal section of the National educational association, 1880; president of the State normal school, St. Cloud, Minn., 1881-'84; editor of the School Journal and Teachers Institute, New York, 1884-'90; one of the founders of and dean of the school of pedagogy, University of the city of New York, 1890-'94, and professor emeritus, 1894. He received the honorary degree of Ph.D. from Lenox college in 1881. He published "An Elementary Grammar," "National System of Map Drawing," "Laboratory Practice in Chemistry," "Short Studies in English," "Lectures on the History of Education," "Mind Studies for Young Teachers," "Training of Teachers in Scotland," and articles in periodicals and cyclopædias. He died in Brooklyn, N.Y., May 26, 1894.