Don A. Allen
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Charles A. Allen, Los Angeles City Council member, 1941–47.
Don A. Allen, also known as Don A. Allen, Sr., was a member of the California State Assembly in the 1940s and 1950s and of the Los Angeles City Council between 1947 and 1956.
, the son of Thomas Allen of Missouri
and Lillian M. Allen of Potosi, Wisconsin
. He attended public schools in Iowa and Nebraska, where he studied civil engineering
, and completed courses in engineering science and war training at the University of Southern California
and Caltech. He was married to Margaret Sachs or Margaret H. Rogers of Detmold, Germany; they had a son, Don A. Allen, Jr. Both Allens were in the U.S. Marines, the elder serving in the Haitian campaign of 1927 against the Sandino Rebellion
.
Allen was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
, the Elks Lodge
, Rotary
and the United Commercial Travelers. He attended McCarty Memorial Christian Church
.
He died in August 1983 in Sacramento, California.
Allen was elected to represent Los Angeles City Council District 7 in 1947, defeating the incumbent, Carl C. Rasmussen
. He was reelected in 1949, 1951, 1953 and 1955. Between 1937 and 1956 the district was bounded on the west by Crenshaw Boulevard, on the north by Exposition Boulevard, on the east by the city boundary with Vernon
and on the south by Vernon Avenue. In 1947 it was noted that the district's population was "nearly 50 per cent Negro." In 1957, after Allen's resignation, the district was moved bodily to the San Fernando Valley
.
Juveniles, 1950. The council adopted his motion asking the Police Department what was being done to enforce curfew laws. He said it was his opinion that if policemen were "equipped with a good old-fashioned hair brush, which could be applied to some of these kids," there might be a lessening of juvenile crime. But Councilman Edward R. Roybal
disagreed, noting that most of the "hoodlums" were over 21 and recommending closer cooperation by the police with agencies "dealing with youth problems."
Rent decontrol, 1950–51. Allen and Councilman Ed J. Davenport were leaders of a drive asking the federal government to lift wartime rent controls on rentals in the city, and when the City Council voted in favor, petitions were circulated to recall the two men. When the federal government declined to lift the controls, an "explosive situation" of "near-riot proportions" broke out in the City Council chamber, with Allen threatening to "break every bone" in the head of the chairman of a Tenants Council
. The next year, though, after the controls had been lifted, he called for imposition of new limits unless "rent gougers" ceased imposing increases of 50% to 100%.
Small business, 1951. He blasted the federal government price regulations because:
Chavez Ravine, 1954. Allen supported a $40 million bond issue to not only build a baseball stadium in Chavez Ravine
but also construct a zoo and golf course there.
Don A. Allen, also known as Don A. Allen, Sr., was a member of the California State Assembly in the 1940s and 1950s and of the Los Angeles City Council between 1947 and 1956.
Biography
Allen was born on May 13, 1900 or 1907, in Atlantic, IowaAtlantic, Iowa
Atlantic is a city in and the county seat of Cass County, Iowa, United States, located along the East Nishnabotna River. The population was 7,112 in the 2010 census, a decline from the 7,257 population in the 2000 census. -History:...
, the son of Thomas Allen of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
and Lillian M. Allen of Potosi, Wisconsin
Potosi, Wisconsin
Potosi is a village in Grant County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 711 at the 2000 census. The village is in the Town of Potosi.-Claim to fame:...
. He attended public schools in Iowa and Nebraska, where he studied civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, and completed courses in engineering science and war training at 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...
and Caltech. He was married to Margaret Sachs or Margaret H. Rogers of Detmold, Germany; they had a son, Don A. Allen, Jr. Both Allens were in the U.S. Marines, the elder serving in the Haitian campaign of 1927 against the Sandino Rebellion
Augusto César Sandino
Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino was a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion against the U.S. military occupation of Nicaragua between 1927 and 1933...
.
Allen was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
, the Elks Lodge
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks is an American fraternal order and social club founded in 1868...
, Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and the United Commercial Travelers. He attended McCarty Memorial Christian Church
McCarty Memorial Christian Church
McCarty Memorial Christian Church is a Gothic Revival church of the Christian Church located at 4101 West Adams Boulevard in the historic West Adams district of Los Angeles, California...
.
He died in August 1983 in Sacramento, California.
Public service
In the 1920s he was an investigator for Los Angeles County District Attorney Thomas Woolwine.State Assembly
Allen was elected to the State Assembly in 1938 and was reelected in 1940, 1942 and 1944. He was a member of the State Council of Defense and the State War Council. He resigned on June 20, 1947, to assume the duties of a Los Angeles City Council member. In June 1956 he was reelected to the Assembly in a special election but instead remained on the council and declined to serve in the Assembly until after the regular election in November 1958. The Legislature did not meet until 1959, when he took his seat. Allen was the author of The Source Book on the California Legislature, published in 1965, and as a result the entire Legislature named him "California Legislative Historian for Life."Elections
See also List of Los Angeles municipal election returns, 1947 and following.Allen was elected to represent Los Angeles City Council District 7 in 1947, defeating the incumbent, Carl C. Rasmussen
Carl C. Rasmussen
Carl Christian Rasmussen was a Lutheran minister who was also a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council between 1939 and 1947.-Biography:...
. He was reelected in 1949, 1951, 1953 and 1955. Between 1937 and 1956 the district was bounded on the west by Crenshaw Boulevard, on the north by Exposition Boulevard, on the east by the city boundary with Vernon
Vernon, California
Vernon is a city five miles south of downtown Los Angeles, California. The population was 112 at the 2010 United States Census, the smallest of any incorporated city in the state....
and on the south by Vernon Avenue. In 1947 it was noted that the district's population was "nearly 50 per cent Negro." In 1957, after Allen's resignation, the district was moved bodily to the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
.
Positions
Voting machines, 1948. Allen introduced a resolution that voting machines be installed "as a substitute for election boards" because "they would "eliminate the human error potential in tabulating returns."Juveniles, 1950. The council adopted his motion asking the Police Department what was being done to enforce curfew laws. He said it was his opinion that if policemen were "equipped with a good old-fashioned hair brush, which could be applied to some of these kids," there might be a lessening of juvenile crime. But Councilman Edward R. Roybal
Edward R. Roybal
Edward Ross "Ed" Roybal was a member of the Los Angeles, California, City Council for thirteen years and of the U.S. House of Representatives for thirty years.-Biography:...
disagreed, noting that most of the "hoodlums" were over 21 and recommending closer cooperation by the police with agencies "dealing with youth problems."
Rent decontrol, 1950–51. Allen and Councilman Ed J. Davenport were leaders of a drive asking the federal government to lift wartime rent controls on rentals in the city, and when the City Council voted in favor, petitions were circulated to recall the two men. When the federal government declined to lift the controls, an "explosive situation" of "near-riot proportions" broke out in the City Council chamber, with Allen threatening to "break every bone" in the head of the chairman of a Tenants Council
Tenant rights
Tenant rights can either refer to the rights tenants enjoy by law, or to the movement to acquire such rights. Tenant rights generally seek to protect renters from landlord neglect and unfair eviction, as well as secure fair, affordable housing....
. The next year, though, after the controls had been lifted, he called for imposition of new limits unless "rent gougers" ceased imposing increases of 50% to 100%.
Small business, 1951. He blasted the federal government price regulations because:
In my district (south central section of the city) scores of small businesses are folding up. They can't take it any longer. They are being regulated to death; they're quitting and getting a job in defense industry rather than face the maze of directives that they can't understand and that local Federal offices can't seem to interpret.
Chavez Ravine, 1954. Allen supported a $40 million bond issue to not only build a baseball stadium in Chavez Ravine
Chávez Ravine
Chavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
but also construct a zoo and golf course there.