Tony Allen (academic administrator) facts for kids

Tony Allen is an American leader in education. He has been the president of Delaware State University since 2020.

Early Life and Learning

Tony Allen was born to R. Leatha Allen. He moved to Delaware when he was three years old. He studied political science at the University of Delaware.

In March 1991, when he was a student, he joined about 200 other Black student activists. They took part in a peaceful protest called a sit-in at Smith Hall. This was to bring attention to important issues.

Allen earned his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts, in political science in 1993. He also got a Ph.D. (a very high degree) in urban affairs and public policy from the University of Delaware. He earned another degree, a Master of Public Administration, from Baruch College in New York City.

Tony Allen's Career Journey

In March 1994, Tony Allen started working with a group called Public Allies in Wilmington. This group helps young people get involved in community service. Just one year later, when he was 25, Allen became the executive director of the group. This meant he was in charge of the organization and its budget of $300,000 each year.

In 1996, Allen became the first "national urban fellow" from Delaware. This special program helps train future leaders. During this time, he worked at the William Penn Foundation. He helped plan how money would be used for a program that supported families in Philadelphia. He also took more classes in public administration at Baruch College. He was even the top student in his national urban fellow class!

Later, Tony Allen helped with big changes in public education for schools in Delaware.

He also worked as a managing director at Bank of America. This role involved managing the company's public image. He also helped start a nonprofit group called the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League.

In July 2017, Allen became the provost and executive vice president of Delaware State University. A provost is like a chief academic officer, overseeing all the teaching and learning programs. He became the president of the university in 2020.

In 2021, the U.S. president, Joe Biden, chose Tony Allen to lead a special board. This board advises the president on matters related to historically black colleges and universities. These are colleges that were created before 1964 to serve the Black community.

Family Life

Tony Allen has four children with his partner, Tara Anderson. She is described as his "high school sweetheart."