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Danielle Allen
Danielle Allen 2017.jpg
Allen in 2017
Born (1971-11-03) November 3, 1971 (age 53)
Education Princeton University (BA)
King's College, Cambridge (MPhil, PhD)
Harvard University (MA, PhD)
Political party Democratic
Parent(s) William B. Allen (father)
Awards Kluge Prize (2020)
Francis Parkman Prize (2015)
Scientific career
Institutions University of Chicago
Institute for Advanced Study
Harvard University
Theses
  • A Situation of Punishment (1996)
  • Intricate Democracy (2001)

Danielle Susan Allen (born November 3, 1971) is an American expert in ancient Greek and Roman history (a classicist) and a political scientist. A political scientist studies how governments work and how people make decisions in groups. She is currently a special professor at Harvard University. She also used to lead the Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard.

Before joining Harvard in 2015, Professor Allen worked at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Her father, William B. Allen, is also a well-known political scientist.

Professor Allen used to write articles for The Washington Post newspaper. In December 2020, she announced she was thinking about running for Governor of Massachusetts. She officially started her campaign in June 2021, seeking to be the candidate for the Democratic Party. However, she decided to stop her campaign in February 2022.

Early Life and Education

Danielle Allen was born in 1971 in Takoma Park, Maryland. Her father, William B. Allen, is a political scientist. Her mother, Susan, worked as a research librarian. Danielle's parents got married at a time when laws made it difficult for people of different races to marry.

Her grandfather was a Baptist preacher who helped start the first local group of the NAACP in North Florida. The NAACP is an organization that works for civil rights and equality for all people. Her great-grandmother was a suffragette, which means she worked to get women the right to vote.

Danielle grew up in Claremont, California. She went to Claremont High School and then attended Princeton University. At Princeton, she earned a degree in classics in 1993. She then received a special scholarship called a Marshall Scholarship to study at King's College at the University of Cambridge in England. There, she earned two more degrees in classics.

Later, she continued her studies at Harvard University. She earned two more degrees there, focusing on government and how societies are organized.

Academic Career and Contributions

From 1997 to 2007, Professor Allen taught at the University of Chicago. She was a professor of both classics and political science. She also led the Humanities Division at the university for a few years.

She has served on the boards of important organizations like Amherst College and Princeton University. She also chaired the board for the Pulitzer Prize, which gives awards for achievements in journalism, literature, and music.

2023 Mala and Solomon Kamm Lecture in Ethics with Agnes Callard
Allen welcoming Agnes Callard to give the Mala and Solomon Kamm Lecture in Ethics in 2023

In 2001, she received a special award called a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. This award is given to talented people who show great originality and dedication in their work. The award recognized her ability to combine her knowledge of ancient texts with modern political ideas. She is also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, which is a group of leading thinkers.

Professor Allen has worked on important projects to improve democracy. She co-chaired a group called the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. This group looked at ways to make American democracy stronger. In June 2020, they released a report called Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century. This report offered ideas and plans to help the country become a more resilient democracy.

In October 2022, Professor Allen joined a project called the Council for Responsible Social Media. This group works to address the negative effects that social media can have on people's minds and on society.

Political Career

In December 2020, Danielle Allen announced she was thinking about running for governor in the 2022 Massachusetts governor's race. She officially started her campaign in June 2021. However, on February 15, 2022, she announced that she was ending her campaign. She explained that she did not see a clear path to winning.

Personal Life

Danielle Allen is married to James Doyle, who is a philosopher at Harvard. They have two children.

Awards and Honors

See also

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