Allen Ballard: key obituary facts
Is Allen Ballard dead? Yes. Allen Ballard died on November 5, 2026, at age 96.
Cause of death: Allen Ballard's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Allen Ballard known for?
He was an author.
More about Allen Ballard
Born: 1 November 1930.
Place of birth: Philadelphia.
Gender: male.
Occupation: author.
Nationality: United States.
Education: Kenyon College, Harvard University.
Employer: State University of New York, City College of New York.
Notable work: Where I'm Bound.
Allen Ballard, an American author, died November 5, 2026, aged 96.
Born in Philadelphia, he was raised there and graduated from Central High School before entering Kenyon College in 1948. He was among the college’s first two African American students, alongside Stanley Jackson.
Ballard later studied at Harvard University and built a career as both a writer of fiction and nonfiction and an academic. He taught government at the City College of New York from 1961 to 1986, then became a history professor at the University at Albany, State University of New York, where he was Professor Emeritus and an A. Collins Fellow. His academic career also included a series of leadership roles: he was the City College’s first African American assistant dean, serving from 1966 to 1967, and its first African American associate dean, from 1967 to 1969. From 1969 to 1974, he was the first African American associate dean at the City University of New York. His books included Where I’m Bound, published in 2012, and Keep on Moving!, published in 2018. Ballard’s work and university service spanned writing, teaching and administration, with his early experience integrating Kenyon forming a notable part of his personal and academic history.