William Hervey Allen Jr. (December 8, 1889 - December 28, 1949) was an American educator, poet, and author. He graduated from Shady Side Academy in 1909. He was a midshipman with the United States Navy from 1909 to 1910, and attended the United States Naval Academy from 1910 to 1911 when he was honorably discharged due to a track and field injury. Allen became a Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1925, he lectured on American Literature at Columbia University. He wrote Toward the Flame (1926), a nonfictional account of his experiences in the war. His book, Wampum and Old Gold, was awarded the Yale Younger Poets Prize. Allen is best known for his work Anthony Adverse.