Allen Family Scholarship

The Allen Family Scholarship was established in 2021 in honor of William and Rose Allen. Born in 1930, William “Bill” Allen’s determination stood out from an early age as his childhood was greatly impacted by the Great Depression. Though his family struggled financially, he was intelligent and excelled in school as well as the Boy Scouts becoming an Eagle Scout at an early age. He graduated from high school early and entered Central State University (CSU) at age sixteen and became part of the infamous Freshman Class of ’47. Upon turning eighteen, he entered the Navy in order to financially assist his mother and siblings. This sacrifice allowed him to later return to CSU and, with the help of the G.I. Bill which he was truly grateful for, he completed his degree. His education allowed him to have a career with the government and provide a much better quality of life for his family. CSU always remained near and dear to him as he became one of the founding members of Dayton’s alumni chapter, vibrantly contributing to its success over the years. Bill’s unit in the Naval Reserves was activated in response to the 1974 tornado that destroyed 80% of CSU’s campus and he worked hard to help salvage what remained in order for the school to remain open. Of his many positive characteristics, two that stand out the most were his sense of humor and extremely generous financial contributions. Rose Allen was born into an Irish Catholic family and she also valued education. In college she majored in Chemistry and, after marrying Bill and having four children, she furthered her education by specializing in the highly technical field of nuclear medicine. Based upon Bill and Rose’s views of the importance of education, this scholarship was created by their family to assist others through their educational journey at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio.

Applicant’s must:

• Be a graduating senior or a current college student accepted to attend or currently attending Central State University
• Plan to major in chemistry or a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) related field
• Demonstrate financial need