William Allen (biographer)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Allen (1784-1868) was an evangelical Congregationalist.
He was born at Pittsfield, Mass., graduated at Harvard in 1802 and after a few years of work became assistant librarian at Harvard. Became Pastor of Pittsfield 1810; and President of Bowdoin College 1820-1839. He was largely responsible for establishing the Medical School of Maine at Bowdoin College in 1820. He resigned in 1839. Died at Northampton in 1868
He prepared his American Biographical and Historical Dictionary (1809), the first work of general biography published in the United States. Also published Psalms and Hymns in 1835. The later contains versions of all the Psalms and 200 original hymns. Some of the hymns, especially those about slavery, are curious.
Julian, John (June, 1907). A Dictionary of Hymnology. London: John Murray, 50.
George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library. William Allen, Administrative Records. Retrieved on January 29, 2007.
