William Barclay Allen
The middle of twelve children born to a black Baptist preacher, William Barclay Allen, was swept up by the National Defense Education Act in the country’s excited reaction to the Soviet Union’s launch of “Sputnik.” He was sent to Virginia to acquire greater facility and interest in the study of science at Virginia Union University in Richmond. However, a growing interest in politics and philosophy displaced his aptitude for science. He migrated to California upon graduation from Peck High School in Fernandina Beach, Florida and undertook undergraduate study (Pepperdine College) and eventually graduate education (Claremont Graduate School), obtaining a Ph.D. in government. During his graduate study, he became a Fulbright Fellow, in which role he taught French university students American culture, while completing a dissertation on French contributions to American political culture.