At Princeton Allen majored in biology and was a member of the Woodrow Wilson Society and the university bridge team. He and classmate Carl Jukkola placed third in the National Intercollegiate Bridge Tournament.
After leaving Princeton, Allen pursued medicine at Johns Hopkins University; upon finishing his training, he obtained a fellowship for further study at the Medical College of Virginia. He subsequently served as a major at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, advancing treatment of viral hepatitis. Subsequently he was professor of medicine at George Washington University for 38 years, specializing in gastroenterology and research in IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).
He had a passion for sailing and enjoyed outings on his boat with family on Chesapeake Bay.
Allen is survived by his wife of 56 years, Margery; son Robert ’90; daughter-in-law Rebecca; and grandsons Noah, Ben, and Theodore. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Irene Steinberg; her husband, Bruce; and grandsons Zachary, William, and Matthew. The class extends its condolences to the family.