Nelson Robert Allen was a former Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 state Senator renowned for his commitment to education. Allen was a resident of Greenup County, KY. He was born in Floyd County, Kentucky

Floyd County, Kentucky

Floyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1800. As of 2000, the population was 42,441. Its county seat is Prestonsburg. The county is named for Colonel John Floyd .-History:...

 and received a Masters degree in Education as well as an honorary doctorate from Morehead State University

Morehead State University

Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...

. He was also a Navy

Navy

A navy is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake- or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions...

 veteran of the Korean War

Korean War

The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...

.

Allen was elected to the state Senate in 1973 from the 18th District (which includes Greenup, Carter, Lewis, Mason, Bracken, and Robertson Counties) and served until 1991. He was chairman of the Senate Education Committee from 1976 to 1990 and was among the legislators most involved in crafting the landmark 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act. Allen was named Most Colorful Senator in the 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1982 sessions by the Capitol Press Corps.

Allen served as principal of Bellefonte and Russell Central Elementary Schools in the Russell Independent School district from 1960 to 1994. He also served as president of the Eastern Kentucky Education Association and also was also elected to the Greenup County Fiscal Court

County commission

A county commission is a group of elected officials charged with administering the county government in local government in some states of the United States. County commissions are usually made up of three or more individuals...

, a position he held at the time of his death. Allen was also a well known college and high school basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 official.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Carol Lynne Rice Allen

Carol Rice Allen

Carol Lynne Rice Allen , is the widow of former Kentucky State Senator Nelson Allen, a retired public school teacher, and the unsuccessful Democratic nominee in the Kentucky State Senate election in the state's , narrowly losing to incumbent Republican Charlie Borders.Allen is a 1961 graduate of...

 of Bellefonte, KY, who was unsuccessful in her 2006 bid for the state Senate seat once held by her husband.