A tribute to the gentle giant: Joe Allen

interviewed a special man two weeks ago. My story was about the effect of the success of the men's basketball team on students considering attending USC.

Whom could I interview?

The dean of admissions would be a prime choice. A call to his office wasn't a success at first. His secretary said that he might be available later in the day.

So I talked with USC women's basketball coach Chris Gobrecht and my partner spoke with incoming freshmen.

And I had a story. I sat down at 4 p.m. in the afternoon, putting it together. That's when the call came. It was the Dean himself, Joe Allen.

He said that he was sorry that he wasn't available earlier and said that if I wanted, I could come to his office and talk to him. My deadline was fast approaching but thought, "Why not get him real quick?"

It was a nice decision and I had a nice talk with Allen.

I asked my questions and he gave me every reporter's dream answers: long and detailed ones.

He was excited to talk about the basketball team. He couldn't stop smiling. There was never a dull moment with this kind, gentle man.

He admired the team's performance, thought it was a wonderful thing. He thought the Trojans' NCAA Tournament run could have an impact on students looking to attend USC.

I remember him saying how the team's success might stand out in the minds of high school students debating whether to go here or somewhere else. He thought it could be an influential factor.

After our quick discussion, he added a comment that made my day.

He told me how much he admired my enthusiasm. He said it was great to meet me. He wished me good luck.

That touched me. He put a smile on my face. His kind words made me feel like I was king of the world, like I was worth something. What a super guy, I thought. He didn't have to say that.

Little did I know that later in the week he would suffer a stroke, go into a coma and never come out of it. I was shocked. Here was the man who had given me a great interview and made me feel special.

"So many students are walking around here because of Joe Allen," said Corliss P. Bennett, who used to work in Admissions but now is the director of the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, a job Allen helped her get. "If I felt strongly about a student, he'd admit that student. He had such a sweet heart."

Allen ran an admissions program as smoothly as anyone.

For one thing, the items I received in the mail from USC were 10 times better than other schools' admission mailings. They were always colorful and had cool designs. Allen worked hard to make USC look its best. Just ask college counselor Peggy Saferstein. She said Allen was one of the best at his job.

"He did so much for USC," Saferstein said. "He was a great man."

Allen was an advocate of the student athlete.

"He tried to support our efforts in attracting the best student athletes we could," said Dr. Roger W. Grooters, director of Student Athlete Academic Services.

Lee Stork, who was his executive assistant for four years before becoming the admission program manager for student athletes, said Allen was a big supporter of USC sports.

"He was so proud of one thing he did during the '99 season," Stork said. "He was the guest coach when the football team beat UCLA. He has one of the game balls. He was really proud of that."

Stork said that Allen spent what would be his last night in Los Angeles watching the Trojans battle the Kentucky Wildcats in the Sweet 16 at the Staples Center Skybox with Stork and some other friends.

Stork said Allen put students first. "He cared about all students, and that included student-athletes," Stork said. "He was a great fan of Trojan athletics and always wanted to make sure that we admitted student-athletes who could fully benefit from the educational opportunities at USC and graduate. He didn't want to exploit anyone."

Stork will most remember Allen's strong character.

"He was one of the most loved, and one of the most loving people on this campus," she said. "The big heart he brought to leadership extended to his involvement in athletics."

I'll miss Joe Allen. I'll always remember the encouragement that he gave me in that quick interview. He made a difference in my life, as he did in so many others. USC will always be a better place because of Joe Allen.

Copyright 2001 by the Daily Trojan. All rights reserved.
This article was published in Vol. 142, No. 55 (Tuesday, April 10, 2001), beginning on page 16 and ending on page 14.