Tony Allen

WPHS Class of 1988

Executive, State & Local Human Rights Advocate

Tony Allen attended Pleasantville, McCullough, George Read and William Penn High School (WPHS), graduating in 1988. At WPHS, Allen ran for the cross country team where he served as captain for three years. He also ran track and was a self-proclaimed “perennial bench-warmer” on the basketball team.

Allen was very active at WPHS, serving as Vice President of Student Government, Sports Editor for the Penn Crier, a student announcer for three years and sang in the choir. During his high school years he was also active in the Forum to Advance Minorities in Engineering (FAME).

Upon graduation Allen attended the University of Delaware where he holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in urban affairs & public policy,as well as a master’s in public administration from Baruch College (City University of New York)

Allen spent many years in the not-for-profit and public service sectors. He was the founding president of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League where he advocated for equity in education, minority business procurement, and urban revitalization. His work touched thousands of small, minority and women-owned businesses and Delaware children. Allenalso worked for several years with current Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden, serving as a speechwriter and special assistant. He started his career as the co-founder of Public Allies Delaware, a leadership organization for young adults interested in full-time, public service careers. Since 1994, more than 500 “Allies” have graduated from the program contributing nearly 1 million hours of volunteer service to Delaware communities.

Currently, Allen chairs the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, a group of school, city and community leaders organized to strengthen Wilmington schools, the largest metropolitan city in the State of Delaware.

He is a trustee at the University of Delaware and the Laffey-McHugh Foundation and director emeritus with the Wilmington Hope Commission. He is also the chairman emeritus of the National Urban Fellows, the oldest academic fellowship for mid-career professionals of color in the country, and he previously was the statewide chair for the United Way of Delaware’s $20 million campaign.

Allenis a Whitney M. Young awardee for Advancing Racial Equality, the National Urban League’s highest honor and in 2012, was named Delaware Citizen of the Year. He has received many other honors in his career.