William F. Allen - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

William Franklin "Lovebird" Allen (January 19, 1883 – June 14, 1946) was an American businessman and politician from Seaford, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Democratic Party, who served in the Delaware General Assembly and as U. S. Representative from Delaware.

Early life and family

Allen was born in Bridgeville, Delaware, son of William Franklin (Frank) Allen and Mollie (Smith) Allen. He moved to Seaford, Delaware with his family in 1889, and then to Laurel

Laurel, Delaware

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...

, Delaware in 1903. He married Addie M. Davis on April 16, 1905 and they had three children, Robert, Franklin, and Doris. They belonged to the Methodist Church.

After completing school in 1902, Allen worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad

Pennsylvania Railroad

The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....

as an agent, telegrapher, and train dispatcher. In 1922, he returned to Seaford, Delaware, began a real estate business, and also formed a business buying and selling fruit and produce along the Delmarva Peninsula. In 1927, Allen diversified his businesses, and founded the Allen Petroleum Corporation and the Allen Package Company.

Political career

Allen was a public school commissioner in Seaford

Seaford, Delaware

Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...

from 1920 until 1924, and was elected to the State Senate in 1924. He was in office for the 1925/26 and 1927/28 sessions, serving as President pro tempore in the 1927/28 session. A strong supporter of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1936, defeating incumbent Republican U.S. Representative J. George Stewart. Allen lost his bid for a second term in 1938 to Republican George S. Williams, a businessman from Millsboro

Millsboro, Delaware

As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...

, Delaware. During his term, Allen was a member of the Democratic majority in the 75th Congress and served from January 3, 1937 until January 3, 1939, during the second administration of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Subsequently, he resumed his work in the oil and gasoline distribution business. In 1940 he challenged both major parties and ran for the U.S. Senate as an Independent "Liberal Democrat," but received only a small number of votes.

Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. Members of the Delaware General Assembly take office the second Tuesday of January. The State Senate has a four year term. U.S. Representatives take office January 3rd and have a two year term.

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |Public Offices
|-
! Office
! Type
! Location
! Began office
! Ended office
! notes
|-
|State Senator

Delaware Senate

The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term....

|Legislature

Legislature

A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

|Dover

Dover, Delaware

The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...

United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...

|Legislature

Legislature

|Washington

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

|January 3, 1937
|January 3, 1939
|

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
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!colspan=7 style="background: #ccccff;" |United States Congressional service
|-
! Dates
! Congress
! Chamber
! Majority
! President
! Committees
! Class/District
|-
|1937–1939
|75th

75th United States Congress

The Seventy-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1937 to January 3, 1939, during the first two years...

|U.S. House

United States House of Representatives

|Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

|Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

|
|at-large

Delaware's At-large congressional district

Delaware's At-large congressional district is a congressional district that includes the entire U.S. state of Delaware.It is currently represented by Democrat John C. Carney, Jr., the former Lieutenant Governor of Delaware.-Voting:-History:...

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!colspan=12 style="background: #ccccff;" |Election results
|-
!Year
!Office
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1936
|U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

Democratic Party (United States)

| |65,485
| |52%
|
| |J. George Stewart

J. George Stewart

John George Stewart was an American architect and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served as U.S. Representative from Delaware and as Architect of the Capitol. He was known by his middle name.-Early life and family:Stewart was...

| |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...

| |55,664
| |44%
|-
|1938
|U.S. Representative

United States House of Representatives

Democratic Party (United States)

| |46,989
| |43%
|
| |George S. Williams

George S. Williams

George Short Williams was an American office administrator and politician from Millsboro, in Sussex County, Delaware. He was a member of the Republican Party, who served as U.S. Representative from Delaware....

| |Republican

Republican Party (United States)

| |60,661
| |56%

External links

Places with more information

Delaware Historical Society
Delaware Historical Society
The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...

; website; 505 North Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801; (302) 655-7161
University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...

; Library website; 181 South College Avenue, Newark, Delaware 19717; (302) 831-2965

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