President Tony Allen – The Elevation of Delaware State University
“Talk of mergers, acquisitions, and assumed liability doesn’t exactly seem like academic banter. These financial terms tend to be exchanged during closed-door C-suite meetings in skyscrapers amongst corporate business leaders when a big deal is being considered. That is, unless your background is in banking and you’re the leader of an institution of higher learning. Four years ago, Dr. Tony Allen masterminded a way to combine his financial business acumen, fervor for academia, and love for his hometown HBCU–by becoming its president. Allen fanboyed Delaware State University while a student at William Penn High School in the late 1980s. While he didn’t attend DSU in an effort to take advantage of a full ride, he kept close watch while studying at the University of Delaware for his bachelor’s in political science and at Baruch College for his master’s in public administration. Before he returned to the University of Delaware for his doctorate in urban affairs and public policy, Allen figured out his life’s work should be devoted to education.”
