Jerome Allen was born in Westminster, Vermont, on July 17, 1830. He began teaching at age 17 and completed his first classes successfully, receiving high praise from the district selectman. Allen completed his undergraduate studies at Amherst College in 1851 and continued his education at Lenox College, receiving his Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1886. He acted as teacher and administrator at a number of educational institutions, including a time spent as the Superintendent of Schools in Monticello, Iowa. He accepted a professorship in the Natural Sciences at the State Normal School in Genesco, New York, and the Presidency of the State Normal School in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He was appointed Professor of Pedagogy at New York University in 1887 and named dean of the newly formed School of Pedagogy in 1890. Over the course of his career, Allen published extensively on the topics of pedagogy and the state of educational institutions. He also created a number of manuals on academic subjects and teaching. He died on May 26, 1894.