Biographical Sketch of Dr. Forrest C. Allen, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Dr. Forrest C. Allen, the widely known director of physical education and athletics of the Warrensburg State Normal School, is one of the most prominent practitioners of osteopathy in this section of Missouri. Dr. Allen was born November 18, 1885, in Jameson, Daviess county, a son of William T. and Mary E. (Perry) Allen. William T. Allen was born in Virginia in 1850, a son of George P. and Sarah (Miller) Allen. The Allens came to Missouri from Virginia in 1866 and settled in Daviess county, where for many years George P. Allen was county surveyor. He was a confederate veteran, having served in the regiment commanded by General Sterling Price. Both Mr. and Mrs. George P. Allen are now de- ceased. Mrs. Allen died in 1904 at Independence, Missouri where the son William T., now resides. Mary E. (Perry) Allen is a daughter of Reverend John Wesley Perry, a native of Virginia, who came to Missouri within a short time after the close of the Civil War and settled in Daviess county. Reverend Perry was also a confederate veteran. He served throughout the war under General Robert E. Lee, one of the best military leaders the world has ever known. To William T. and Mary E. Allen have been born six children, all of whom are now living: Homer P., a prominent lumberman of Independence, Missouri; Elmer M., a succ- essful motor car dealer of Independence, Missouri; Harry B., captain of Battery F, Second Missouri Field Artillery; Forrest C., the subject of this review; Hubert Lee, formerly a motor car dealer in the employ of Studebaker's manufacturing company located at San Francisco, California and now with the United States Aviation Corps; and Richard C., who re- cently enlisted with the United States Aviation Corps at St. Louis, Missouri. The six sons of Mr. and Mrs. William T. Allen composed the well known and remembered "Allen Brothers' Basketball Team." Dr. Forrest C. Allen is a graduate of Independence High School, Independ- ence, Missouri. While a student in high school, Doctor Allen was a member of every athletic organization in the school and played on every team, taking an active and prominent part in all forms of athletics. In 1905, he entered the University of Kansas and was in attendance at that institution during the years of 1905, 1906 and 1907. Doctor Allen mat- riculated at the university in October and in the autumn of that year played with the "Freshman Ever-Victorious Football Team," which team defeated every college team they played against that year. "Pat" Crow- ell, Carl Pleasant, and "Tommy" Johnson were three celebrated players of the university team, which was coached by "Shorty" Hammel, one of the best and most renowned football coaches in the country, that played on the Freshman team with Doctor Allen. At the beginning of the basket ball season of the same college year, Doctor Allen was chosen captain of the Kansas University basket ball team and this team won the Miss- ouri Valley championship. He was a member of the Kansas City Athletic Club Team, which defeated the Buffalo German Young Men's Christian Association, world's champions, in a serios of three basket ball games at Convention Hall. Doctor Allen was awarded a life membership in the Kansas City Athletics Club for this victory. In the spring of his freshman year at the university, Doctor Allen played as second baseman on the baseball team. He so distinguished himself in athletics at college that in 1907 he received a flattering offer to coach the Baker University team in basket ball, a position which he accepted and at the same time continued his work in Kansas University. The Baker Univer- sity team won the Missouri Valley championship in 1907. In 1908 and 1909, Doctor Allen coached the Kansas University team in basket ball and they won back the Missouri Valley championship. As coach, he was associated with Dr. James Naismith, the inventor of basket ball, who is director of physical education at Kansas University. Doctor Allen, in 1908, coached the Haskell Indians in addition to his athletic work at the university and that year took the Indians on a five thousand mile trip through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Michigan, and out of the twenty-four games played on twenty-five different nights the Indians won nineteen. The doctor resigned his position as coach in September, 1909, and entered the Central College of Osteopathy at Kansas City, Missouri, from which institution he graduated in June, 1912. He came to Warrensburg in September, following, and assumed the duties of coach or director of physical education and athletics in the Warrensburg State Normal School, which position he still holds. The first year after he took charge, the college won every game in foot- ball, basket ball, and baseball they played and the school has main- tained its record and high standard in athletics practically ever since. June 25, 1907 Dr. Forrest C. Allen and Bessie E. Milton, daugh- ter of Robert F. and Elizabeth L. Milton, of Jackson county, Missouri, were united in marriage. Robert F. Milton is a well known and prosper- ous farmer and stockman of Jackson county, proprietor of "Sunnyside Stock Farm." To Dr. and Mrs. Allen have been born four children: Mary Elizabeth, Forrest Claire, Jr.; Milton Perry and Jane. The Allens re- side in Warrensburg in their attractive home at 110 Broad street, a handsome bungalow constructed of brick and stucco having eight large, airy, well lighted rooms and supplied with all the latest and most modern conveniences. As a practitioner, Doctor Allen's abilities have been recognized by the different universities of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. Huff, the athletic director of the University of Illinois, wired Doctor Allen in December, 1916, to come to Champaign and "fix up" his men who had dislocated bones, strained tendons, and sprains. The doctor answered the call for help and the Champaign "Daily News" soon after his arrival came out with a splendid "write up" on him, calling the stranger "The Miracle Man." The paper, in givin a list of the men treated and restored to their pristine vigor and strength, quoted the doctor as follows: "I like to coach football and to fix the fellows up" said the Miracle Man on Tuesday. "I believe I could make more money practicing in some large city, but I wouldn't leave my position at Warrensburg for anything." ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. 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