James B. Allen (historian)
Encyclopedia
James Brown "Jim" Allen is an American
historian
of Mormonism
and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.
and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In the late 1940s, he was a proselyting missionary
in the California Mission
under Oscar W. McConkie
.
Allen served in his church throughout his life, including as a Bishop of a student ward at Brigham Young University
(BYU) in the 1960s and a stake high councilor. In politics, he also served for a time as a District Republican
committeeman.
Allen was a significant historian of Mormonism
with a strong grasp of its controversies. When his colleague Davis Bitton
asked in an article "How many historians who are deeply familiar with the sources on Mormon origins still find it possible to remain in the fold", Bitton listed Allen among the first names he gave of people who fit this description.
Allen lives in Orem, Utah
and is married to the former Renée Jones. They have five children and twenty grandchildren. One of his daughters married the writer Orson Scott Card
. Allen's younger brother, John H. Allen, was a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve
, the commander over the Judge Advocate General units of the 96th Sustainment Brigade, and a Federal Bankruptcy Judge
.
(USU) in Logan, Utah, receiving a B.A.
in history in 1954. During a history seminar
as a senior, he met Leonard J. Arrington
, a new professor who would come to strongly influence Allen's career. Allen's paper from that seminar was published in Utah Historical Quarterly in 1955 and became the basis for his graduate studies.
Allen pursued his M.A.
in history at BYU, with Dr. Richard D. Poll
as his major professor. In 1956, he completed his thesis
, The Development of County Government in the Territory of Utah, 1850-1896, which drew from his earlier published article.
In 1963, Allen received a Ph.D.
in history from the University of Southern California
(USC). His dissertation, The Company Town in the American West, was later published as a book by the University of Oklahoma Press
.
(CES) in a variety of roles. In Kaysville, Utah
he was a seminary teacher, as well as in Cowley, Wyoming
, where he was also the coordinator of seminaries from 1955-7. He taught at LDS Institutes of Religion for nine years, and was director of the institutes in Long Beach
and San Bernardino, California
while pursuing his doctorate at USC.
Allen joined the religion faculty at BYU in 1963, and then the history department in 1964. In the early 1970s was the doctoral major professor and mentor of Ron Esplin
, who would become another notable Mormon historian. He was chair of the history department from 1981–1987, and afterward held the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Chair in Western American History, until his 1992 retirement. From 1992-2005, he was a senior research fellow with BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History, and served on its executive committee for a time.
From 1999-2000, Allen and his wife served as full-time missionaries for the Church Education System at the Boston
Institute of Religion. In 2002, he taught in the History Department of Brigham Young University—Hawaii as a volunteer.
(MHA), along with Leonard J. Arrington. He would go on to serve as its vice-president in 1970 and president in 1972. Representing the MHA, Allen wrote and edited the "Historian's Corner," a semi-annual column in the quarterly BYU Studies
from 1970–1982, when he was succeeded by Ronald W. Walker
.
, a comprehensive single-volume history of the LDS Church written by Allen and Glen M. Leonard
, a Senior Historical Associate in the church's Historical Department, and published in 1976.
The book was well-received by the general and academic audiences, but some church leaders were uncomfortable. Allen's philosophy was to directly address historical controversies, while casting them against the context of their own time. Some leaders denounced the book as too secular and it was not republished for years, despite its popularity. In 1979, Allen was honorably released as Assistant Church Historian and returned full-time to BYU. Around this time, the department's History Division came under greater suspicion and scrutiny, and its staff and programs were curtailed before being transferred to BYU in 1982 as the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History.
At BYU, Allen was coldly received by some religion faculty who were unhappy with his book. Later, some university trustees had reservations about Allen's 1981 appointment as chair of the history department. However, he retained leadership roles at BYU until his 1992 retirement, when he rejoined the staff and programs from the old History Division, at BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.
Biography
Allen is a native of Logan, UtahLogan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). In the late 1940s, he was a proselyting missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in the California Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
under Oscar W. McConkie
Oscar W. McConkie
Oscar Walter McConkie was a Utah State Senator and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was the father of Bruce R. McConkie, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the LDS Church. A second son Oscar W. McConkie, Jr...
.
Allen served in his church throughout his life, including as a Bishop of a student ward at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU) in the 1960s and a stake high councilor. In politics, he also served for a time as a District Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
committeeman.
Allen was a significant historian of Mormonism
Latter Day Saint Historians
Historians of the Latter Day Saint movement are a diverse group of historians writing about Mormonism. Historians devoted to the History of the Latter Day Saint movement may be members of an LDS faith or non-members with an academic interest...
with a strong grasp of its controversies. When his colleague Davis Bitton
Davis Bitton
-External links:*...
asked in an article "How many historians who are deeply familiar with the sources on Mormon origins still find it possible to remain in the fold", Bitton listed Allen among the first names he gave of people who fit this description.
Allen lives in Orem, Utah
Orem, Utah
Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the north-central part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is about south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Utah and...
and is married to the former Renée Jones. They have five children and twenty grandchildren. One of his daughters married the writer Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. Allen's younger brother, John H. Allen, was a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, the commander over the Judge Advocate General units of the 96th Sustainment Brigade, and a Federal Bankruptcy Judge
United States bankruptcy court
United States bankruptcy courts are courts created under Article I of the United States Constitution. They function as units of the district courts and have subject-matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy cases. The federal district courts have original and exclusive jurisdiction over all cases arising...
.
Education
As an undergraduate student, Allen attended Utah State UniversityUtah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
(USU) in Logan, Utah, receiving a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history in 1954. During a history seminar
Seminar
Seminar is, generally, a form of academic instruction, either at an academic institution or offered by a commercial or professional organization. It has the function of bringing together small groups for recurring meetings, focusing each time on some particular subject, in which everyone present is...
as a senior, he met Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...
, a new professor who would come to strongly influence Allen's career. Allen's paper from that seminar was published in Utah Historical Quarterly in 1955 and became the basis for his graduate studies.
Allen pursued his M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in history at BYU, with Dr. Richard D. Poll
Richard D. Poll
Richard Douglas Poll was an American historian, academic, author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . His liberal religiosity influenced his notable metaphor about "Iron Rod" vs. "Liahona" LDS Church members. -Biography:Poll was born in Salt Lake City, where he lived...
as his major professor. In 1956, he completed his thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
, The Development of County Government in the Territory of Utah, 1850-1896, which drew from his earlier published article.
In 1963, Allen received a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in history from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC). His dissertation, The Company Town in the American West, was later published as a book by the University of Oklahoma Press
University of Oklahoma Press
The University of Oklahoma Press is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. It has been in operation for over seventy-five years, and was the first university press established in the American Southwest. It was founded by William Bennett Bizzell, the fifth president of the University of...
.
Career
Starting in 1954, Allen worked for the Church Educational SystemChurch Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
(CES) in a variety of roles. In Kaysville, Utah
Kaysville, Utah
Kaysville is a city in Davis County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Ogden–Clearfield, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 20,351 at the 2000 census, and 25,820 as of the 2008 estimates.-History:...
he was a seminary teacher, as well as in Cowley, Wyoming
Cowley, Wyoming
Cowley is a town in Big Horn County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 560 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cowley is located at ....
, where he was also the coordinator of seminaries from 1955-7. He taught at LDS Institutes of Religion for nine years, and was director of the institutes in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
and San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
while pursuing his doctorate at USC.
Allen joined the religion faculty at BYU in 1963, and then the history department in 1964. In the early 1970s was the doctoral major professor and mentor of Ron Esplin
Ron Esplin
Dr. Ronald Kent Esplin is the managing editor of The Joseph Smith Papers project and the former director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University .- Biography :...
, who would become another notable Mormon historian. He was chair of the history department from 1981–1987, and afterward held the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Chair in Western American History, until his 1992 retirement. From 1992-2005, he was a senior research fellow with BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History, and served on its executive committee for a time.
From 1999-2000, Allen and his wife served as full-time missionaries for the Church Education System at the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
Institute of Religion. In 2002, he taught in the History Department of Brigham Young University—Hawaii as a volunteer.
Mormon History Association
In 1965, Allen was one of the founders of the Mormon History AssociationMormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
(MHA), along with Leonard J. Arrington. He would go on to serve as its vice-president in 1970 and president in 1972. Representing the MHA, Allen wrote and edited the "Historian's Corner," a semi-annual column in the quarterly BYU Studies
BYU Studies
BYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
from 1970–1982, when he was succeeded by Ronald W. Walker
Ronald W. Walker
Ronald Warren Walker is a historian of the Latter Day Saint movement who was formerly a professor at Brigham Young University and president of the Mormon History Association.-Biography:...
.
Assistant Church Historian
In 1972, Allen was called to be an Assistant Church Historian for the LDS Church, at the request of Leonard J. Arrington. He served half time in that capacity, continuing his BYU professorship at the same time. Arrington had assembled a team of professional historians to engage in new academic research with use of the church archives. Amongst the first major publications to emerge was The Story of the Latter-day SaintsThe Story of the Latter-day Saints
The Story of the Latter-day Saints is a single-volume history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by James B. Allen and Glen M...
, a comprehensive single-volume history of the LDS Church written by Allen and Glen M. Leonard
Glen M. Leonard
Glen Milton Leonard is an American historian specializing in Mormon history.- Background :Leonard is a native of Farmington, Utah. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Utah. For a time he was managing editor of Utah Historical Quarterly. He has taught at both Brigham Young...
, a Senior Historical Associate in the church's Historical Department, and published in 1976.
The book was well-received by the general and academic audiences, but some church leaders were uncomfortable. Allen's philosophy was to directly address historical controversies, while casting them against the context of their own time. Some leaders denounced the book as too secular and it was not republished for years, despite its popularity. In 1979, Allen was honorably released as Assistant Church Historian and returned full-time to BYU. Around this time, the department's History Division came under greater suspicion and scrutiny, and its staff and programs were curtailed before being transferred to BYU in 1982 as the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History.
At BYU, Allen was coldly received by some religion faculty who were unhappy with his book. Later, some university trustees had reservations about Allen's 1981 appointment as chair of the history department. However, he retained leadership roles at BYU until his 1992 retirement, when he rejoined the staff and programs from the old History Division, at BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute.
Awards
- 1968 Best Bibliography Award from the Mormon History Association
- 1980 Morris Rosenblatt award for best popular interest article in Utah Historical Quarterly
- 1984 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer at Brigham Young University
- 1986 David Woolley Evans and Beatrice Cannon Evans Biography Award
- 1987 T. Edgar Lyon Award for Best Article from the Mormon History Association
- 1988 Fellow of the Utah State Historical Society
- 1991 T. Edgar Lyon Best Article Award from the Mormon History Association
- 1994 T. Edgar Lyon Award of Excellence from the Mormon History Association
- 2000 Special Citation for the book Studies in Mormon History, 1830-1997 from the Mormon History Association
- 2001 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title from the American Library AssociationAmerican Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members....
- 2007 Leonard J. Arrington Award for meritorious service to Mormon history from the Mormon History Association