Samuel B. (Samuel Buell) Allison

Born in 1861, Samuel Buell Allison was an American educator and writer who served as a principal in the Chicago Public School System. The biographical details most consistently confirmed in available sources place his life from May 22, 1861, to February 20, 1932.

Allison is best known for An American Robinson Crusoe for American Boys and Girls, published in 1918. In its prefatory material, the book explains that it grew out of many years of classroom experience and was designed for use in the early grades, showing how closely his writing was tied to teaching.

He also wrote other school-oriented works, including The Story in Primary Instruction and The Teacher's Robinson Crusoe. Taken together, his books suggest a writer deeply interested in helping children learn through narrative, especially by connecting reading with imagination, practical skills, and the development of human society.