Louise Allen left her mark on Atlanta

Obituaries

Louise Allen, wife of the late Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen Jr., was a founder of the Atlanta Speech School and the Forward Arts Foundation. Her foresight transformed the Atlanta Historical Society from a small group of Civil War buffs to guardians of every aspect of the city's history. She left her mark on the Atlanta Botanical Garden and the former Henrietta Egleston Hospital for Children.

Louise Allen, wife of the late Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen Jr., was renowned for her ability to persuade people to volunteer for civic projects and for her intuitive sense to match a volunteer with a cause.

Mrs. Allen was Atlanta's first lady from 1962 to 1970. Here she is with sons Inman and Beaumont Allen and her husband, then the mayor-elect.

In 1969 she and her husband joined former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey and Muriel Humphrey at All Saints Episcopal Church for the funeral of Ralph E. McGill.

After her husband's time as mayor, they traveled. One trip to Africa was cut short when Ivan Allen suffered a bout of sleeping sickness. But the Allens seemed in good spirts when they arrived at Atlanta's airport on May 13, 1970.

Louise Allen poses near a paper bark maple tree in her vast backyard in 1996.

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Louise Allen, wife of the late Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen Jr., was renowned for her ability to persuade people to volunteer for civic projects and for her intuitive sense to match a volunteer with a cause.

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