Dr. William Herman Allen, Sr. was born in Sharky County, MS, on August 27, 1935, the only child of sharecroppers Herman and Jessie Jackson Allen. He grew up in Mississippi and attended Delta schools from age seven through age 13. In 1951 William moved to St. Louis and attended Sumner High School for three years, graduating in the spring of 1954. He attended Saint Louis University (SLU) and received a BS degree in Liberal Arts Chemistry in 1958. He served in the Army Medical Corps in various locations.
After being honorably discharged from the Army Medical Corps in 1962, he met and married Catherine J. on February 25. To this union, two sons Courtney Renard and William H. Jr. were born.
He worked as a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer until 1971. In 1970, the Board of Trustees at Belleville Area College in Belleville, IL appointed him as a full-time instructor in Law Enforcement Education. He remained in that position while completing an MS degree in Human Relations from SLU in 1972. In 1974 he was appointed coordinator of Law Enforcement Programs at Belleville Area College and obtained his PhD in Education in 1975. He retired from Belleville Area College in 1998 but continued to remain active in numerous organizations including the Gateway Boat Club, Lakeside Hills/Parc Charlene Board of Trustees and Lutheran Ministries Association.
He to cherish his memory his mother, Jessie Jordan; his loving and devoted wife of 45 years, Catherine; two sons, Courtney Renard (Dena) and William Herman Jr. (Shamel); two grandchildren, Derek, 12, and Jada, 6; aunt, Nellie Jordan; sister-in-law, Virginia Boles (Columbus, GA); brother-in-law, Homer Jones (Phenix City, AL); one niece; three nephews; and a host of relatives and friends.