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Allen, H. Kenneth

YEARS IN THE DEPARTMENT:   

1931-1965

RESEARCH INTEREST:

Public Finance

BIOSKETCH:

Harold Kenneth Allen came to the University of Illinois in 1916 as a student in commerce, where he would complete his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees. He joined the faculty of the Department of Economics as Instructor in 1931 and would progress through the academic ranks to full professor by 1945.

Professor Allen achieved national prominence in the fields of Public Finance and Taxation, like his colleague Merlin Hunter, with whom he co-authored the widely used textbook Principles in Public Finance, published in 1940.

From 1941 to 1948, he served as Director of the Bureau of Economic and Business Research, and held the office of Chairman of the Department of Economics from 1952 to 1957, taking over after controversy had fragmented and depleted the department

of 16 tenured faculty. Following his term as Chair, he would continue teaching for 8 more years until his retirement in 1965. It was this year that he was awarded a citation by Governor Otto Kerner for his distinguished service to the state and his active role in Illinois tax studies, having served as longstanding director of research for two commissions on revenue.

Dr. Allen was born on July 24, 1897 and deceased on November 25, 1983.

PHD:

University of Illinois

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

  • Allen, Harry K. State Public Finance and State Institutions of Higher Education in the United States. New York: Columbia University Press, 1952. Print.
  • Hunter, Merlin H, and Harry K. Allen. Principles of Public Finance. New York: Harper & Bros, 1940. Print.
  • Pitchell, Robert J, and Harry K. Allen. Corporate Tax Support of Public Institutions of Higher Education. Published by the Institute of Public Administration of Indiana University for the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, 1966. Print.
  • Allen, Harry K. Costs and Services of Local Government in Selected Illinois Counties. Urbana: University of Illinois, 1936. Print.
  • Allen, Harry K. Control of Expenditures in the Local Governmental Units of Illinois. Urbana: University of Illinois, 1940. Print.

OTHER LINKS/RESOURCES:

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VITA:

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