Colonel William A. Phillips

John Weston Allen[4] (April 19, 1872[4] – January 1, 1942[5]) was an American politician who served as a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1915 to 1918[3] and as Massachusetts Attorney General from 1920 to 1923.

As Attorney General, Allen was aggressive in his pursuit of white collar criminals.[6] During his tenure, Allen prosecuted Thomas W. Lawson, L. C. Van Riper,[6] and Charles Ponzi.[4]

Instead of seeking reelection, Allen ran for Governor of Massachusetts in 1922 but lost the Republican primary election to incumbent Channing H. Cox. Allen served as a member of the United States Attorney General's National Crime Commission from 1926 to 1936 and was the commission's chairman from 1930 to 1936.

See also

References

  1. ^ Who's Who in State Politics, 1918, Boston, MA: Practical Politics, 1918, p. 102.
  2. ^ Howard, Richard T. (1921), Public Officials of Massachusetts 1921–1922, Boston, MA: The Boston Review, p. Page 28.
  3. ^ a b Richard T. Howard. Public Officials of Massachusetts 1921–22. The Boston Review.
  4. ^ a b c "John Weston Allen (1872–1942)". Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  5. ^ "J. Weston Allen, 69, Ex-Attorney General In Bay State, Dies". The Hartford Courant. January 2, 1942.
  6. ^ a b "LAWSON AND OTHER BOSTON BROKERS FINED; Pleading Guilty to Breach of Statute on Mining Stocks, He and Van Riper Pay $1,000". New York Times. April 22, 1920. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
Political offices
Preceded by Massachusetts Attorney General
1920–1923
Succeeded by