Byron G. Allen

Byron G. Allen
Byron G. Allen
Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture
	In office; 1955–1961
Governor	Orville Freeman
Member of the Iowa House of Representatives; from the 77th district
	In office; January 10, 1927 – January 8, 1933
Preceded by	Arna G. Rassler
Succeeded by	Marion Bruce
Personal details
Born	Byron Gilchrist Allen; September 13, 1901; Laurens, Iowa, U.S.
Died	June 10, 1988 (aged 86); Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, U.S.
Political party	Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party; Republican (until 1933);
Education	Iowa 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.^[1]

Career

Allen was a newspaper editor by trade, and served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1927 to 1933.^[2] 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.^[3] He died in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota on June 10, 1988.^[4]

References

^ Official Register. Iowa General Assembly. 1927. p. 238.
^ "Byron G. Allen". Iowa Legislators Past and Present. Iowa Legislative Services Agency. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
^ Political Graveyard
^ "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 by Party Created	Endorsed Gubernatorial Candidate, Minnesota DFL State Convention 1944	Succeeded by Harold H. Barker
Preceded by Hjalmar Petersen Farmer–Labor Party	DFL nominee for Governor of Minnesota 1944
Preceded by John D. Sullivan Democratic Party	DFL nominee for Governor of Minnesota 1944

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[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.

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