author
William Allen
1784–1868
A minister, educator, and prolific writer, he helped shape early American college life while also compiling one of the young nation’s best-known biographical reference works. His career moved from the pulpit to the presidency of Dartmouth and Bowdoin, linking scholarship with public life.
1 Audiobook
A Book of Christian Sonnets
by William Allen
About the author
Born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, in 1784, William Allen graduated from Harvard in 1802 and began his career in ministry and academic work. Early on he served at Harvard as assistant librarian and regent, and later succeeded his father as pastor in Pittsfield.
Allen became president of Dartmouth College in 1817 and then led Bowdoin College from 1820 to 1839. He was known as a scholar and educator as well as a clergyman, and his long career placed him at the center of New England’s religious and intellectual world.
He is especially remembered as a biographer and compiler. His American Biographical and Historical Dictionary gathered sketches of notable figures from the nation’s early history, reflecting his lifelong interest in preserving memory, character, and public achievement. He died in 1868.