Garland Edward Allen III, passed away peacefully in Palm Springs, CA on February 10, 2023. He was 86 years old.

Garland (“Gar”) was born on February 13, 1936 in Louisville, Kentucky. After completing his B.A. in English at the University of Louisville in 1957, he got a Master of Arts and Teaching at Harvard University (1958) and then taught high school biology at Northfield Mount Hermon from 1958-1962. At NMH, Gar met Jeffrey J.W. Baker who would become his lifelong friend and also his co-author of the Study of Biology, a textbook geared toward beginning biology students. Gar returned to Harvard in 1963 to pursue a Ph.D. in history of science working with his advisor Everett Mendelsohn, and in 1966 he completed his dissertation on the Life and Work of Thomas Hunt Morgan. In 1967, Dr. Allen took a professorship at Washington University in St. Louis where he remained until his retirement in 2017, an almost 50-year tenure.

Dr. Allen was widely known for his work in the history of genetics and was an international leader on the history of eugenics. His primary interest was in the history and philosophy of biology -- particularly genetics, embryology, and evolution -- and their interrelationships between 1880 and 1950. Through his scholarship, he broadened the study of biology to include its philosophical and ideological dimensions, and particularly to illuminate the historical and political-social context within the practice of science.

From early on, Gar’s life and work was driven by deep passion for politics and political philosophy. In the 1960s and 70s, he was active in the civil rights movement and participated in multiple marches, including the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march with Dr. Martin Luther King. In 1979, he spent 5 months in Cuba as a member of the Vencêramos Brigade where he took part in the harvesting of sugar cane. This experience had a huge impact on him -- he became deeply interested in Marxist Philosophy -- and from then on his interest in dialectical materialism and economic determinism influenced his responses and interpretations of science, its processes, and its social contexts. In the 1980s, Gar became active in the International Committee Against Racism (InCAR), a sub-organization of the political Labor Party, where he developed a strong commitment to social and racial justice.

Gar authored multiple books including Matter, Energy, and Life (4 Editions), Life Sciences in the Twentieth Century (1975), Thomas Hunt Morgan: The Man and his Science (1978), Biology: Scientific Process and Social Issues (2002) and five editions of The Study of Biology. He was a long-time member of History of Science Society and American Association for the Advancement of Science. From 2005-2007, he was President of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology. And from 1996-2005, he was co-editor of the Journal of the History of Biology. Along with Jane Maienshein, he was the co-organizer of the annual History of Biology Seminar at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. He loved spending summers in Woods Hole, and this became an important place for work and family. In 2017, Gar received the George Sarton Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the History of Science Society.

Gar’s accolades and contributions to scholarship are innumerable. But his career might be best measured by his collegial connections and the impact he had on students and young scholars. He taught introductory biology to thousands of undergraduates and mentored dozens of graduate scholars, often informally and without any official “credit,” inspiring many to begin or deepen their study of science. He is consistently described as a teacher who was dynamic, encouraging and accessible; he energetically engaged students, making room for new thoughts and questions, encouraging conversation and critique, and meeting every student with interest and respect. With colleagues, he formed deep and creative connections that inspired many academic endeavors and deepened the work within the history and philosophy of science community.

Outside of his work, Gar found joy and inspiration in many areas of life, choosing to cultivate these passions every day. He was a lover of opera and classical music and acquired a huge personal library of recordings. He shared this passion with friends by organizing regular visits to the symphony and a monthly opera group. He loved tennis, hiking, stargazing, house renovations, drawing and photography. He liked to read classical literature and poetry and would often compose his own writings. He was a gifted storyteller and could invent a story on a dime; his children (and grandchildren) were the lucky beneficiaries, especially the Thomas Troll saga which spanned 50 years of bedtime storytelling. Gar loved to travel and sought every adventure that he could. He especially enjoyed the Egyptian Nile Cruise he took with his husband Larry in 2021, and his journey to the Galapagos many years before, which he always said was a highlight of his life.

Above all else, Gar was a genuine, generous, inspired, and inspiring person who had many friends and created community everywhere he went. He had an infectious, childlike curiosity and a wonderful sense of humor. He never walked past someone without saying hello. He made every person feel welcomed and felt real interest in all. He loved to have a glass of wine or bourbon and laugh. He always had time to listen to someone in need, or to write a note to a friend. He consistently kept in touch with family and friends through letters, email, visits, and phone calls. He was an attentive, encouraging father and a devoted, loving partner. He inspired us all with his brilliance, humility, and deep love of life.

Garland Allen is survived by his husband, Larry Bennett, and two daughters, Carin Allen and Tania Allen, as well as four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a Memorial Scholarship for Diversity in the Biological Sciences at WashU through Gar Allen’s online memorial:  https://everloved.com/life-of/garland-edward-allen/donate/?flow=202.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/garland-edward-allen/obituary/

Copy