George Allen (U.S. Politician) - Early Life, Education, and Early Law Career (1952-1982)

Early Life, Education, and Early Law Career (1952-1982)

Allen was born in Whittier, California. Allen's father, George Herbert Allen, was a legendary NFL coach who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002. During the 2006 senatorial campaign it was revealed that Allen's mother, Henrietta Lumbroso, was born to Sephardic Jewish parents in Tunisia. He has a younger sister, Jennifer, an author and correspondent for NFL Network, and two brothers, including Bruce Allen, the current general manager of the Washington Redskins and former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He and his family lived there until 1957. They moved to the suburbs of Chicago after George Sr. got a job with the Chicago Bears. Then, the family moved back to Southern California (Palos Verdes) in 1966 after Allen's father was named head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.

Allen graduated in 1970 from Palos Verdes High School, where he was a member of the falconry club and the car club. He was also quarterback of the varsity football team.

Allen attended the University of California, Los Angeles, for a year. His father had in the meantime taken over the head coaching duties with the Washington Redskins in 1970 and the younger Allen transferred to the University of Virginia, in 1971, where he received a B.A. degree with distinction in history in 1974. He was class president in his fourth year at UVA.

After graduating, Allen completed a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977. In 1976 he was the chairman of the "Young Virginians for Ronald Reagan". Out of law school, he served as a law clerk for Judge Glen Morgan Williams of the United States District Court for the Western District of Virginia.