William D. Allen

William D. Allen was born about 1847 in Maryland. Little is known about his early life; however, by 1880, he was working at the White House as a doorkeeper, also referred to as an usher.¹ In this role, he would have been responsible for managing access to the Executive Mansion and the president. 

One of the most notable moments of Allen’s service came in the early months of President Chester A. Arthur’s presidency, when he and fellow doorkeeper Thomas F. Pendel helped prevent an assassination attempt. Pendel later recalled that the two intercepted a suspicious visitor at the White House and seized a loaded revolver from him.² Allen also served during the final months of President James A. Garfield’s life, helping manage the crowds of well-wishers who gathered at the White House while the president lay ill.³ Little else is known about the rest of Allen’s life or his full tenure at the White House.