No one had ever asked Paul Allen '98 for his autograph at Dartmouth. But after being named one of the "30 leaders of the Future" in the Jan. 2001 issue of Ebony Magazine, Allen's autograph is high demand.
After just a quick glance at Allen's extensive resume, his recognition from Ebony becomes obvious. For over two years, Allen has worked in the office of New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall '58. Currently, he serves as the special assistant to the Comptroller. "I'm the link between [the Comptroller] and our offices while we're out traveling," Allen said.
Allen described his work with the Comptroller as "a chance of a lifetime, knowing how much I've been able to gain." As special assistant, he has had the opportunity to interact with a variety of notable political figures.
Recently, Allen attended the swearing in of First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton as Senator of the State of New York, an opportunity which has served as one of the highlights of his political career.
Though Allen majored in sociology at Dartmouth, a meeting with McCall in July 1998 cemented his movement toward the political world. Allen's tireless dedication to his work inspired McCall to nominate his assistant as one of the "30 leaders of the future."
Apart from being asked a series of follow-up questions by the magazine, Allen was kept, for the most part, in the dark during the decision process.
He said he did not receive verification of the honor, which recognized exceptional young men and women, until the issue was published. "As soon as I heard I ran out and got ten copies," Allen said.
While working in the office of the Comptroller, Allen has managed to find time to assist Dartmouth College with a variety of endeavors, including working in the admissions office as an alumni interviewer.
His dedication to Dartmouth as an alumnus is not surprising considering his contributions to the College during his time as an undergrad, which Allen described as the "four greatest years of my life."
Allen served as President of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and a member of Palaeopitus, a select group of seniors that advises the College President and Dean of the College.
While working as an intern in the College's Alumni office, he had the opportunity to work with Director of Alumni Relations Nelson Armstrong, whom Allen called an "inspiration."
"Paul was a guy who brought a strong sense of stability to the office," Armstrong said. "Paul brings sensibility. He's a guy you can depend on."
Through his studies in Sociology, Allen said he was able to discover "how interrelated we all are." This strong sense of community values is conveyed in the numerous motivational speeches Allen provides for elementary and junior high school students.
"I want to let the students know they can be successful," noted Allen, who often speaks to groups of inner-city youths. According to Allen, he has received a number of requests to spread his words of inspiration as a result of the feature in Ebony.
While Allen contemplates going to business school and "working in the private sector" he said it would be difficult to leave his position in the Office of the Comptroller.
"I love what I'm doing now," Allen said. With McCall likely to enter the 2002 New York state gubernatorial election, Allen's political future may become even brighter.
But no matter where he ends up, according to Armstrong, "Paul's future is almost unlimited."
