Lou And Ruth Allen

Louis and Ruth Allen, long time residents of Palo Alto, died this winter. Louis Alexander Allen, 93, died in December and his wife Ruth Graham Allen, 91, died on April 14th.

Lou Allen [son of Israel Nathan Allen and Emma Greenberg Allen] was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia and raised in Republic Washington where he was valedictorian of his high school class of twelve students. A graduate of Washington State University, he was the three time Pac 8 heavyweight boxing champion and student leader. During World War II he served in the Air Force in Central America where he achieved the rank of Major and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest noncombatant award given by the Armed Services.

After the war he returned home, married Ruth Graham, and went to work for Alcoa in Pittsburgh. After stints with The Conference Board and Booz, Allen & Hamilton he moved to Palo Alto in 1958 and founded the management consulting firm Louis Allen Associates. His clients included Standard Oil, Union Carbide, Merrill Lynch and many other industry leaders and the firm opened offices in South Africa, Australia, Singapore and Europe.

In 1962 his book The Management Profession won the McKinsey Award and was translated into seven languages. During his travels, he developed an interest in native art and he collected extensively in Africa and Australia. His book Time Before Morning, documented the myths of Australian aboriginal artists; a major part of his collection of bark paintings is now exhibited at the Art Gallery of Western Australia in Perth. Despite his extensive travels, Lou was a devoted husband and father who led many hiking, camping and travel adventures with Ruth and with the entire family. When family members had problems, he always showed up and helped. He was an astute observer and had an uncanny knack of asking questions that got right to the heart of the matter.

Ruth Graham Allen [daughter of John T. Graham and Bessie Hart Graham] was born on a homestead in Valier, Montana and raised on a dairy farm in Pullman, Washington. She was active in 4H, played the piano and helped out on the farm. After her second year of college at Washington State, Ruth moved to Chicago where she worked as secretary to the head of the meatpackers union while taking a premedical curriculum at night. She was one of three women who graduated from Northwestern Medical School in 1947 and was elected Vice President of her class. She went on to practice public medicine, pediatrics and anesthesiology until the early 1960s when she left to devote more time to her five children.

As Lou traveled, Ruth kept the family fire alive. Everyone who knew her mentioned her legacy of connectedness with other people, her endless curiosity about everything, her ability to listen and to remember what she heard. Her passionate avocation was anthropology and archeology, and all of us remember her as the woman in the safari vest, sun hat and walking stick. She taught us how to chip an arrowhead and how to love the American desert.

Lou and Ruth are survived by their five children and spouses and their many grandchildren. Mike Allen "" Sharon [Santa Cruz, CA], Ace Allen "" Donna Oberstein [Overland Park, Kansas], Steve Allen [Durango, Colorado], Terry Allen Beck - Randy [Mount Hermon, CA] and Deborah Allen "" Dan Buffo [Soquel, CA]. Donations in their name may be made to the Lou and Ruth Allen Pass It On' Fund, c/o Washington State University Foundation, PO Box 641925, Pullman, WA 99164-1925 [509] 335-6686 or 800-GIV-2-WSU [448-2978] foundation@wsu.edu