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Byron G. Allen

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American politician (1901–1988)
Byron G. Allen
Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
In office
1955–1961
GovernorOrville Freeman
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives
from the 77th district
In office
January 10, 1927 – January 8, 1933
Preceded byArna G. Rassler
Succeeded byMarion Bruce
Personal details
BornByron Gilchrist Allen
(1901-09-13)September 13, 1901
Laurens, Iowa, U.S.
DiedJune 10, 1988(1988-06-10) (aged 86)
Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party
EducationIowa State College

Byron Gilchrist Allen (September 13, 1901 – June 10, 1988) was an American politician who was the first nominee of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party for governor.

Early life and education

Born in Laurens, Iowa, Allen attended Iowa State College (now Iowa State University) from 1920 to 1924.

Career

Allen was a newspaper editor by trade, and served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1927 to 1933. He unsuccessfully sought election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa in 1940.

In 1944, Allen was the first nominee for governor of Minnesota's newly formed Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, a merger of the state's Democratic and Farmer–Labor parties. He lost to incumbent Republican governor Edward John Thye.

Allen later served as commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture from 1955 to 1961 under Governor Orville Freeman, and as assistant U.S. secretary of agriculture from 1961 to 1969, also under Freeman, who was appointed U.S. secretary of agriculture by President John F. Kennedy.

Personal life

Allen was married to Elsa Ellanora Erickson. He died in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota on June 10, 1988.

References

  1. Official Register. Iowa General Assembly. 1927. p. 238.
  2. "Byron G. Allen". Iowa Legislators Past and Present. Iowa Legislative Services Agency. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
  3. Political Graveyard
  4. "Byron Allen, Agriculture Official". The New York Times. The Associated Press. 1988-06-13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-03-18.
Party political offices
Preceded byParty Created Endorsed Gubernatorial Candidate,
Minnesota DFL State Convention
1944 		Succeeded byHarold H. Barker
Preceded byHjalmar Petersen
Farmer–Labor Party 		DFL nominee for Governor of Minnesota
1944
Preceded byJohn D. Sullivan
Democratic Party


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