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James Freddy Allen, who helped revive Morris Brown College, dies at 56

The beloved administrator helped rebuild enrollment at the Atlanta HBCU and became a trusted mentor to generations of students.
Dr. James F. Allen was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown College. He died Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)
Dr. James F. Allen was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown College. He died Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)
Brooke Leigh Howard
By

When Morris Brown College began its comeback after losing its accreditation, James Freddy Allen helped bring students back to a campus that had nearly emptied.

As the school’s vice president of enrollment and student affairs, Allen was credited with helping increase enrollment, becoming a central figure in the revival of the historically Black Atlanta college.

But to the students who knew him, Allen was more than an administrator. He was a mentor, an advocate and someone they could count on.

Dr. James F. Allen (second from left) attends Unmasking the Royalty coronation of Mister and Miss Morris Brown College on Oct. 1, 2026. Allen was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown. He passed away Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)
Dr. James F. Allen (second from left) attends Unmasking the Royalty coronation of Mister and Miss Morris Brown College on Oct. 1, 2026. Allen was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown. He passed away Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)

Allen died Oct. 29. He was 56. A cause of death was not disclosed.

“Dr. Allen was one of my pillars at Morris Brown,” said junior Courtney Stanback. “From the time I first got here, he was someone I knew I could lean on.”

Known for making students and alumni feel valued, Allen often opened doors for people on campus and went out of his way to check on members of the Morris Brown community.

For a college that had struggled for years to rebuild, his death was especially painful.

“Dr. Allen’s passing is an incredibly difficult loss, both personally and professionally,” Morris Brown College President Kevin James said in a statement.

Morris Brown lost its accreditation in 2002, triggering a prolonged struggle to survive.

In April 2022, nearly two decades later, the college regained accreditation through the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools.

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Allen joined Morris Brown as a faculty member in January 2022, just months before the milestone.

As vice president of enrollment and student affairs, he became an important part of the college’s efforts to rebuild its student population.

Allen went to churches and school fairs to speak with prospective college students, then followed up with them during the application process.

Dr. James F. Allen attends the Honors Convocation at Morris Brown College on April 15, 2026. Allen was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown. He died Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)
Dr. James F. Allen attends the Honors Convocation at Morris Brown College on April 15, 2026. Allen was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown. He died Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)

Those efforts helped increase enrollment at a college that had once dwindled to just 20 students and has since grown to nearly 600.

“His unwavering dedication, extraordinary work ethic, love for Morris Brown College and belief in our mission embodied everything we stand for,” James said. “I will forever be grateful for his leadership, and the privilege of walking this journey alongside him.”

Born March 23, 1970, to Bertha Hunt Allen and James Carl Allen, Allen grew up in Elberton, Georgia.

He attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from Argosy University in Atlanta.

He later earned a doctorate in higher education, concentrating in leadership and management, from Regent University.

Allen was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., served on the Board of Trustees for Turner Theological Center and was part of Morris Brown’s president’s executive cabinet.

Outside his professional responsibilities, he enjoyed reading, playing softball and collecting replica horses.

Allen is survived by his mother, Bertha Hunt Allen, and his sisters Cindy Allen, Tara Rucker, Pearl Rucker and Elisa Brown.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. at the Flat Rock C.M.E. Church Family Life Center, 5595 Cokesbury Highway, Hartwell, Georgia.

But on Wednesday evening, members of the Morris Brown community gathered for a candlelight vigil to honor Allen’s life and legacy.

A candlelight vigil is held for Dr. James F. Allen on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. He was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown College. He died Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)
A candlelight vigil is held for Dr. James F. Allen on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. He was the vice president of enrollment and student affairs at Morris Brown College. He died Oct. 29,2026. (Courtesy of Morris Brown College)

“A loss like this is ... deep and heavy. This same sadness though is a victory,” said Yvette C. Love, a professor in the college’s Department of Business. “Countless lives and generations are now nurtured because of the life of Dr. James Freddy Allen.”

For students, the gathering was an opportunity to remember a man who had helped shape their college experience and to consider how they might carry his work forward.