Devere Allen

Devere Allen (1891–1955) was an American socialist and pacifist political activist and journalist. Allen is best remembered as the main editor of The World Tomorrow following the departure of Norman Thomas from the magazine in 1922. Allen was the author of more than 20 books and pamphlets and was active in the leadership of several political organizations, including the League for Independent Political Action (1928–1932) and the Socialist Party of America.

Devere Allen was born June 24, 1891, in Providence, Rhode Island. He attended elementary school in several New England towns, including Providence, Westerly, Rhode Island, and New London, Connecticut, before being enrolled in the Wheeler School, still located in North Stonington, Connecticut.

During his younger years, Allen worked variously as a farmhand, a retail clerk, a restaurant waiter, and a school teacher.

Allen continued his education at Oberlin College, a private liberal arts university located in Oberlin, Ohio, from which he graduated in 1917 with a bachelor's degree. Allen's graduation came just two months after American entry into World War I, to which he objected on religious and ethical grounds. In response, he joined the pacifist Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR), which had been established in the United States in 1915. Allen soon became a key leader of this organization, with which he would remain affiliated throughout his life.

In 1918, Allen became involved in a left-wing youth organization in New York City called Young Democracy. He served as Executive Secretary of that organization from 1918 until 1919 and edited the group's monthly periodical, the eponymous Young Democracy, from 1919 through 1921.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation published an official monthly magazine in New York City, The World Tomorrow, which founding editor Rev. Norman Thomas had soon made into a leading voice of ethical socialism in the United States. In 1922, Thomas left the magazine and Allen took over his seat in the editor's chair. He would remain the editor of the publication until its termination in 1934.

Following the shutting of The World Tomorrow, Allen moved over to The Nation, where he was made an associate editor.

In 1933, Allen and his wife established the No-Frontier News Service, an agency which provided socialist and anti-militarist content to left-wing newspapers and magazines. This service was continued forward as World-Over Press, which provided international news reportage and commentary to mainstream periodicals around the world. At the time of Allen's death World-Over Press counted more than 700 subscribers in its ranks.