Allen L. Deans
Cite this Page
"Allen L. Deans," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/664.
- Position
- Houseman
- Years in President's House
- circa 1911 – 1914
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- Black or African American
- Biography
- Allen L. Deans was born in Virginia around 1876.1 He married a woman named Maude M. Doorsely in 1909.2 By 1911, he was working at the White House as a houseman, a position that involved cleaning and organizing rooms, moving furniture, and keeping both public and private areas tidy. He worked under housekeeper Elizabeth A. Jaffray and earned $60.00 per month.3 In his free time, Johnson was a member of the Chandelier Club– a social group of African-American White House domestic employees who gathered outside of work. In 1914, he served as the secretary for the organization.4 He left White House employment by 1915 as he was not listed as a White House worker in that year’s D.C. City Directory or in a 1915 article listing Chandelier Club members.5 Allen died sometime between 1950 and 1961, but further information about his death and burial remains unclear.6
- The White House Workers History Project relies on the U.S. Census Bureau’s updated guidelines for collecting demographic data related to race and ethnicity published in 2024. Adhering to these categories, this project identifies this person as Black or African American; however, there is documentation or other evidence suggesting that they were multiracial or mixed race. It is important to recognize that historical terms such as “mulatto” and “colored” are problematic, as these reflect the document writer’s views and the historical period more than the individual’s preferences or identity. “Allen L. Deans 1950 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry, accessed May 18, 2026, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/16100363?tid=&pid=&queryId=c2ff86fd-44d8-408c-9a3c-552c226b5625&_phsrc=OuO1231&_phstart=successSource.
- “Allan L Deans Washington, District of Columbia, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1870-1920,” Ancestry, accessed May 18, 2026, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62863/records/111721?tid=&pid=&queryId=bb1d14ad-6b1c-441a-9c24-f4e00a416071&_phsrc=OuO1225&_phstart=successSource.
- William H. Taft, William H. Taft Papers: Series 6: Executive Office Correspondence (Presidential Series No. 2), 1909-1913; 500K-502A, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/resource/mss42234.mss42234-396_0020_1132/?sp=1053&r=0.502,0.345,0.377,0.225,0; “Allen L. Deans U.S. City Directories, 1822–1995,” Ancestry, accessed May 18, 2026, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/1030417683?tid=&pid=&queryId=bb1d14ad-6b1c-441a-9c24-f4e00a416071&_phsrc=OuO1225&_phstart=successSource.
- “The Chandelier Club’s Reception,” The Washington Sun, February 19, 1915, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1043490031/?match=1&terms="chandelier club" white%2.
- “Allen L. Deans U.S., City Directories, 1915, Ancestry, accessed May 18, 2026, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/2469/records/1022916543?tid=&pid=&queryId=bb1d14ad-6b1c-441a-9c24-f4e00a416071&_phsrc=OuO1225&_phstart=successSource; “The Chandelier Club’s Reception,” The Washington Sun, February 19, 1915, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1043490031/?match=1&terms="chandelier club" white%2.
- Deans appears in the 1950 Census, but not the 1960 census. An obituary for his wife in 1961 does not mention Deans as still living, meaning he likely died sometime between 1950 and 1961. “Deans Maude D.,” The Washington Evening Star, February 13, 1961, https://www.newspapers.com/image/871110002/?match=1&terms=Allen Deans; “Allen L. Deans 1950 United States Federal Census,” Ancestry, accessed May 18, 2026, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/62308/records/16100363?tid=&pid=&queryId=c2ff86fd-44d8-408c-9a3c-552c226b5625&_phsrc=OuO1231&_phstart=successSource.
- Birthplace
- Virginia, USA
- Unclear from Context
- Related Association Content
- https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-chandelier-club