Allen, Mary Sophia (1878–1964)

British police administrator and pioneer of women's police work whose many contributions were forgotten because of her support for fascism in the 1930s. Born Mary Sophia Allen on March 12, 1878; died in Croydon, England, on December 16, 1964; educated at Princess Helena College, Ealing, London.

Mary Sophia Allen was born on March 12, 1878, into a family of comfortable circumstances. Her father was a manager of the Great Western Railway. Educated at Princess Helena College, Ealing, London, Allen was a militant suffragist, serving three terms of imprisonment for her activities. Along with Margaret Damer Dawson , she was a co-founder of the women's police service in London in 1914 and was appointed to the rank of sub-commandant in that year. In 1919, she was promoted to commandant of the service, a position she held until her retirement in 1938. In addition to increasing the number and quality of her staff over a period of more than two decades, Allen argued persuasively for women's expanded role in police work, publishing three books on the subject. She also founded and served as editor of The Policewoman's Review from 1927 through 1937. Because of the pioneering nature of her work, she was invited to a number of foreign countries to lecture and give advice on the training of women's police forces.

Foreign contacts eventually brought Mary Allen into a swirl of bitter controversies in the 1930s. Visits to Germany led to meetings with Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering and other Nazi

leaders. Favorably impressed by the "restoration of order" in Nazi Germany, she openly disseminated such views upon her return to Great Britain. She was also a strong supporter of the Fascist rebellion in Spain led by Francisco Franco. Needless to say, such viewpoints created heated controversy regarding her suitability as a leading police executive in a democratic society threatened by dictatorial regimes. Her views were attacked by several members of Parliament, and the fact that she was also director of the Voluntary Women's Auxiliary Service raised the question of her suitability for heading that organization, which had ties to the national civil-defense system. Her pioneering achievements momentarily eclipsed, Allen retired in 1938 under a cloud of controversy and criticism. In 1953, she converted to the Roman Catholic faith. Mary Sophia Allen died in Croydon, England, on December 16, 1964. Though her political instincts were misguided, Allen helped pave the way for women in the police force.

sources:

Allen, Mary Sophia. Lady in Blue: Reminiscences, and a Study of the Status of Women Police. London: Stanley Paul, 1936.

——. The Pioneer Policewoman. Edited by Julie Helen Heyneman. London: Chatto & Windus, 1925.

——, and Julie Helen Heyneman. Woman at the Cross Roads: Reminiscences of Mary S. Allen. London: Unicorn Press, 1934.

"Miss Mary Allen, A Pioneer of Women's Police Service," in The Times [London]. December 18, 1964, p. 15.

John Haag , Associate Professor of History, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia