author
Frank Allaben
1867–1927
A longtime editor and writer on family history, this early 20th-century genealogist helped turn ancestry research into a more practical craft. His work is especially known for encouraging careful methods, organized records, and respect for historical evidence.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in Oberlin, Ohio, on January 30, 1867, Frank Allaben became known as an American writer, editor, and genealogist. He wrote on genealogy and history, and his name is closely tied to the growing interest in family-history research in the early 1900s.
Allaben served as editor of the Journal of American History from 1912 to 1926, and archival records also connect him with the National Historical Company and the National Historical Society. His books include Concerning Genealogies, a practical guide that urged readers to approach ancestry work with patience, order, and sound historical method.
He died in New York City on February 15, 1927. Although many biographical details about his personal life are not easy to confirm, his surviving books and editorial work show a writer deeply interested in preserving family and historical records in a useful, readable way.