Ethel D. Allen
| Ethel D. Allen | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania | |
|
In office January 16, 1979 – October 31, 1979 |
|
| Governor | Dick Thornburgh |
| Preceded by | Barton Fields |
| Succeeded by | William Davis |
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the At-Large District | |
|
In office January 5, 1976 – January 16, 1979 |
|
| Preceded by | Tom Foglietta |
| Succeeded by | Joan Specter |
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the 5th District | |
|
In office January 3, 1972 – January 5, 1976 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas McIntosh |
| Succeeded by | Cecil B. Moore |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 8, 1929 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | December 16, 1981 (aged 52) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater |
West Virginia State College Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine |
| Profession | Doctor, Politician |
Ethel D. Allen, D.O. (May 8, 1929 – December 16, 1981) was an African-American Republican politician and physician who served in the Pennsylvania state cabinet as Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Allen was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She studied at West Virginia State College, where she majored in chemistry and biology with a minor in mathematics, and went on to earn her Doctor of Osteopathy from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1963.
While her parents were active in local Democratic politics, Allen eventually became a Republican volunteer, working for a variety of campaigns, including that of Dwight Eisenhower in 1952. She would jokingly describe herself as a "B.F.R. - a black, female Republican, an entity as rare as a black elephant and just as smart."
As a self-described "ghetto practitioner," Allen worked in difficult and often dangerous circumstances in some of Philadelphia's poorest neighborhoods. At one point, she was lured to a false house call and found herself the target of a robbery. Four men had surrounded her, hoping to get drugs from her medical bag, but she escaped safely after wielding her gun and sending the would-be robbers running.
Allen decided that the best way for her to combat the crime she saw as a practicing physician was to become more involved in politics. In 1971, she ran for Philadelphia City Council. That year, buoyed by a series of strong debate performances, she unseated incumbent Democratic Councilman Thomas McIntosh in the Fifth District. With her election, she became the first African-American woman to serve on city council. During her tenure, Allen sponsored legislation that resulted in the creation of the Philadelphia Youth Commission to help address issues with urban gangs.
...
Wikipedia