Monday, February 13, 2012

Scholarship Series Part 5: The woman behind the scholarship - May Allen

As a state founder and state president (1936-1940) May Allen came to Louisiana by way of Maine. Ms. Allen was educated in the northeast receiving her BA from Smith College and PhD from Yale University. She also studied at Biblical Seminary in New York, American Academy in Rome, and the University of Perugia, Italy. May taught in colleges in Maryland, Massachusetts, Kansas City and the Unviersity of Tennessee before arriving in New Orleans. She was on the faculty of Sophie Newcomb College where she was chairman of the Department of Classical Languages and Acting Head of the Latin Department. She taught classical languages and Biblical literature at Newcomb for 25 years before her retirement in 1949.

On the national level of DKG May served as National Recording Secretary (1942-1944) and as chair of the headquarters Building Committee (1940-1943). She was the recipient of the National Achivement Award in 1945.  May was honored by Epsilon State with the establishment of a scholarship in 1940 at Tulane University in her name. It was first a Summer School Stipend then changed in  1978 to May A. Allen Tulane Travel Study Stipend. May Allen was among those in 1956 to have their name inscribed in the Golden Book as an Epsilon State contributor the International Headquarters Building Fund.

Ms. Allen's dedication to DKG and Epsilon is evident in her vision to create a financial legacy for members of Society in pursuit of expanding knowledge through travel.

No comments:

Post a Comment