Honorable John Allen Biography  -  Sponsored by: The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Favorites Color Navy Blue Food Lobster Time of Year Summer

John Daniel Allen was born on January 17, 1943, in Columbus, Georgia, to Beatrice and Daniel Allen. Allen distinguished himself in the U.S. Air Force before becoming a significant jurist as a Superior Court judge in Georgia.

Allen graduated from Tuskegee University in 1966 with a B.S. in mechanical engineering. R.O.T.C. designated him a Distinguished Military Cadet, and he was awarded a commission as a regular officer in the Air Force. As such, Allen gained top-secret clearance, piloted an F-4 Phantom Jet-Fighter, and taught both academics and flight. He served two tours in Southeast Asia and was decorated repeatedly, earning five Distinguished Flying Crosses, twenty-three Air Medals and two Air Force Commendation Medals. In 1973, Allen was honorably discharged.

Continuing his education, Allen worked toward an M.S. degree at the University of South Florida, but discontinued those studies to pursue a law degree. He received a J.D. from the University of Florida in 1975. Allen maintained a private law practice in Columbus, Georgia, and gained extensive civil and criminal trial experience. He worked as a city attorney for Geneva, Georgia, and then as a Recorder's Court judge in Columbus. In 1987, Allen became a state court judge and held that position until 1993, when he was appointed to the bench of the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit Superior Court. He continues to serve the six counties in his jurisdiction.

Allen acts as a mentor to newly appointed or elected state court judges, a position for which he was selected by the Institute for Continuing Judicial Education of Georgia. The Georgia Supreme Court selected him to work on the Court Futures Vanguard, drafting proposals to prepare Georgia's courts for the future. Allen has also served as a member of the Columbus Airport Commission, the Columbus High School Vocational Education Advisory Board, the Urban League Board of Directors, the Area Ten Special Olympics Advisory Board and the African American Historic Preservation Society. He has three children.