College of Medicine mourns E.C. Allen

From the fall 2003 edition of The Best Medicine, predecessor of FSU MED magazine

The FSU College of Medicine is mourning the loss of E.C. Allen, who along with his wife Tillie was one of the school’s first benefactors.

Two years before the Florida Legislature approved FSU’s medical school during the 2000 session, the Allens established the E.C. and Tillie Allen College of Medicine Endowment with a $1 million gift, which they made contingent upon the Legislature’s action.

E.C. Allen at that time called the new medical school to be established at FSU “a plus for all concerned” and expressed confidence that the school would generate new physicians to serve Florida’s elderly, rural and other medically underserved populations.

“This is an opportunity to be a part of something that will be so much appreciated by many in our community,” E.C. Allen said. “It will mean so much for the city and our citizens to have these kinds of medical services available.”

The Allens have remained strong supporters of the medical school since then. Last May, Tillie Allen attended the White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2007, the third class to enroll in the college.

“The Allens were among the first to recognize the impact FSU’s College of Medicine would have on health care in Florida, and they stepped right up to support it, as they did with so many good causes,” said College of Medicine Dean J. Ocie Harris, M.D. “E.C. Allen will always hold a special place in the history of this medical school, and our medical students will continue to benefit from the scholarship fund he and Tillie established with their endowment.”

The Allens’ generosity has been bestowed on numerous organizations, as well as church and civic projects in Leon County. Among the organizations they have supported is the Southern Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships to college students in the form of rent-free housing. One of the foundation’s houses is designated for FSU medical students.

Having started out as a carpenter’s helper for his father in Meigs, Ga., E.C. Allen went on to earn a degree in commerce from FSU in 1948. He worked for 13 years as an accountant before entering the mobile home business. His company, Mobile Home Industries, became the nation’s largest mobile home dealer in the 1970s.

According to the Tallahassee Democrat, E.C. Allen was fond of saying, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.”
After a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, Allen passed away Oct. 11 at the age of 81.