Wiliiam Allen, D. D., an American clergyman and author, son of the preceding, born in Pittsfield, Mass., Jan. 2, 1784, died in Northampton, July 16, 1868. He graduated at Harvard college in 1802, and studied theology with the Rev. Dr. Pierce of Brookline. After being licensed in 1804 by the Berkshire association, he preached for some months in various parts of western New York. Upon his return he was appointed a regent of Harvard college, and was also assistant librarian of the college. During this period he prepared the first edition of his "American Biographical and Historical Dictionary " (1809), containing notices of about 700 Americans. This was the first book of general biography issued in the United States. In 1807 he prepared the biographical sketches of American ministers for the Rev. David Boguo's and Dr. Bennett's "History of Dissenters," published in London in 4 vols. The second edition of his "Dictionary" appeared in 1832, and contained more than 1,800 names. The third edition, published in Boston in 1857, contains biographies and notices of nearly 7,000 Americans. His connection with the university ceased in 1810, when he was ordained pastor of the Congregational church in Pittsfield, as his father's successor.

The legislature of New Hampshire in 1816 altered the charter of Dartmouth college, and created in its stead a university, of which Dr. Allen was made president in 1817. Upon an appeal to the supreme court at Washington, the rights of the college against the state were maintained in 1819. In 1820 Dr. Allen was appointed president of Bowdoin college, Me., and retained that position till 1839, when he resigned it, and retired to Northampton, Mass., engaging in various literary labors. Among these is a collection of more than 10,000 words not found in dictionaries of the English language; nearly 1,500 being contributed to Worcester's dictionary (1846), more than 4,000 to Webster's (1854), and about 6,000 to the new edition of Webster. His other chief writings are: " Junius Unmasked," to prove that Lord Sackville was the real Junius; "Accounts of Shipwrecks;" "Psalms and Hymns," with many original hymns (1835); memoirs of Dr. Eleazar Whee-lock, and of Dr. John Codman (1853); " Wun-nissoo, or the Vale of Hoosatimnuk," a poem, with learned notes (1856); "Christian Sonnets" (1860); "Poems of Nazareth and the Cross" (1866); and "Sacred Songs" (1867).