Elizabeth Almira Allen

By Annabelle Sebastian

Elizabeth Almira Allen (1854-1919) was a teachers’ rights advocate and the first female president of the New Jersey Education Association. 

At age thirteen, Allen entered the Model School of Trenton, which was associated with the New Jersey State Normal School. Two years later, Allen graduated. In 1871, Allen began her teaching career in the Hoboken school district, where for 48 years she taught at the elementary and high school, serving as the principal of the Hoboken Elementary School, and later serving as the supervisor of the education of teachers at the Hoboken Normal and Training School. 

Allen’s work as a teachers’ rights advocate began when, at age 28, she became the vice president of the New Jersey Teachers’ Association (NJTA). Her work in this position focused on issues related to teachers’ retirement funds, teacher tenure, and fair workplace treatment for women in education. Her dedicated advocacy made her the subject of much public scrutiny and controversy.

In 1896, Senator John B. Vreeland of Morristown introduced the “School Teachers’ Retirement Fund Bill,” which provided half-pay annuity to teachers who were no longer able to teach, who had over 20 years of experience teaching. The bill was financed by a one percent stoppage from the monthly salary of all those who elected to be considered by this law. This bill passed and became the first statewide retirement law for teachers. However, membership for the bill was voluntary. Allen began campaigning via flyers, newspaper articles, and speeches in order to recruit as many members as possible. In the three month enrollment period allowed by the state legislature, Allen was able to enroll more than half of the teachers in the state of New Jersey into the bill.

Allen continued her work campaigning for further teachers’ retirement legislation. In 1900, Allen was made secretary of the Teacher’s Retirement Fund. She campaigned for the Tenure of Office Act for over nine years, and, in 1911, formed a grievance committee for the New Jersey Teachers’ Association. In 1913, she was appointed as the first female president of the New Jersey Teachers’ Association. Up until her death in 1919, Allen continued to push for reform within the New Jersey state legislature and within the teachers’ association regarding the rights of teachers statewide.

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References:

Burstyn, Joan N. “Elizabeth Almira Allen”. Past and Promise, Lives of New Jersey Women, 1990. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54486196

https://primo.rowan.edu/permalink/01ROWU_INST/mgcbt1/alma992019253405201. 

Crocco, Margaret S. “The Price of an Activist Life: Elizabeth Almira Allen and Marion Thompson Wright.” In Pedagogies of Resistance: Women Educator Activists, 1880-1960, edited by Margaret Smith Crocco, Petra Munro, and Kathleen Weiler, 47-80. New York: Teachers College Press, 1999.

Housman, Ida E. The life of Elizabeth Almira Allen. Trenton, N.J.: New Jersey Education Association, 1994. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/5367808.

Allen, Elizabeth A. “NEW JERSEY’S SCHOOLS.: MISS E.A. ALLEN CALLS ATTENTION TO MANY STORIES OF OUTRAGE IN THEIR OFFICIAL MANAGEMENT.” New York Times (1857-1922), Jul 04, 1899.
(Login Required: Link to Resource at Rowan University Libraries)

 http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fnew-jerseys-schools%2Fdocview%2F95688025%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

“JERSEY’S WOMEN TEACHERS: THEY WANT THE SAME RANK AND PAY AS THE MEN, BUT SOME OF THE LATTER OBJECT. STATE ASSOCIATION MEETING A LIVELY FIGHT EXPECTED AT TRENTON OVER THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE RETIREMENT FUND — SHARP PRELIMINARY SKIRMISHES.” New York Times (1857-1922), Dec 28, 1897. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fjerseys-women-teachers%2Fdocview%2F95505537%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

“NAVAL RESERVE FOR NEW-JERSEY: THE HOUSE AND SENATE PASS THE BILL — SCHOOL TEACHERS ASK TO HAVE A PENSION FUND ESTABLISHED.” New York Times (1857-1922), Feb 12, 1895. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fnaval-reserve-new-jersey%2Fdocview%2F95275300%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

Padawer, Ruth. “EQUAL TIME HISTORY BOOKS OFTEN IGNORE N.J. WOMEN: [ALL EDITIONS.=.SUNDAY].” The Record, Mar 17, 1996. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fnewspapers%2Fequal-time-history-books-often-ignore-n-j-women%2Fdocview%2F424730434%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605

Special to The New York Times. “ATTACKS TEACHERS’ FUND.: MISS MCCOY TELLS TRENTON CONVENTION IT IS MISMANAGED.” New York Times (1857-1922), Sep 28, 1913. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fattacks-teachers-fund%2Fdocview%2F97361116%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

Special to The Inquirer. “Miss Allen Heads Jersey Teachers: Is First Woman President of Association in Fifty-nine Years. Election Was Unanimous.” Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-1934), January 1, 1914, 3. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fjanuary-1-1914-page-3-14%2Fdocview%2F1828861052%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

Special to the Inquirer. “Teachers Favor Woman Suffrage.” Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-1934), September 26, 1915, 11. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fseptember-26-1915-page-11-71%2Fdocview%2F1828967493%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

Special to the Inquirer. “Jersey Teachers Fight For Control: Rift in Programme at Atlantic City Threatens Division of Organization Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-1934), Dec 29, 1916, 9. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fdecember-29-1916-page-9-16%2Fdocview%2F1829075567%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

Special to the Inquirer. “Miss Allen Full of Fight – Blames a Politician for Charges Refleeting Upon Her.” Philadelphia Inquirer (1860-1934), December 29, 1899, 4. http://ezproxy.rowan.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fhistorical-newspapers%2Fdecember-29-1899-page-4-14%2Fdocview%2F1826951846%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D13605.

Suggested Citation:

Sebastian, Annabelle. “Elizabeth Almira Allen.” New Jersey Women’s History, Rowan University Libraries, 2024. https://njwomenshistory.org/biographies/elizabeth-almira-allen/.