Gerald L. Allen #819

Brother Gerald L. Allen came to the University of Denver on a swimming scholarship after graduating from Denver’s South High School. He was born on December 26, 1933, but moved with his family to Colorado in 1945.

As an undergraduate at DU, Brother Allen majored in marketing and finance. He was a member of the ROTC in addition to being on the swim team and working his way through school. He decided to rush Beta with a few friends his (these friends included fellow initiates Patrick Sullivan #810, Jim Wolff #830 and his eventual pledge son Bob Benight #836).

Immediately after graduating, Gerry went to pilot school at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas. After completing flight school, he stayed on as an instructor where he did as much flying in six weeks as he had in an entire year of flight training! He spent his days teaching new pilots how to fly B-25s and T-33s until Goodfellow was closed and he was reassigned to Riverside, California. He flew B-47 bombers for the duration of his time in the service before transitioning to the private sector.

His first job out of the Air Force was as a salesman for the American Can Company in Portland, Oregon. When it became apparent that his position would force him to switch locations, he left his job and began a new career as a broker for Dean Witter (later Morgan Stanley). He stayed with Morgan Stanley for 33 years before retiring as a Financial Advisor in 2001.

His personal life, however, includes the remarkable tale of his heart transplant in the winter of 1987 (Gerry’s story was featured in the most recent edition of the Dragon’s Tale). In spite of living a very healthy lifestyle that included such activities as swimming, cycling, hiking and skiing. Brother Allen came down with what was originally diagnosed as a serious case of the flu. After suffering several weeks with no signs of improvement, he was taken for X-rays and later for an ultrasound of his lungs and heart. What was thought to be a case of the flu was later diagnosed as Viral Cardiomyopathy. Gerry had no history of heart problems or major illnesses but was suddenly faced with a condition in which the walls of the heart became thickened due to an internal fault in the heart muscle. His condition deteriorated so severely that he was told he had only days to live and was given his last rites only 28 days after the diagnosis. He was transferred to the University Hospital in Portland where he was fortunate to undergo a heart transplant operation. Brother Allen was removed from a ventilator within a day, was cycling on a stationary bike within two days and was back at his athletic club within 10 days! Gerry remains one of the longest living heart transplant survivors in the United States.

After overcoming such a great obstacle, Brother Allen has chosen to give back to his community. He gives speeches and does promotional work for the Oregon Donor Program and he has also done patient mentoring for pre- and post-transplant patients at the Oregon Health Science University Hospital for the past 18 years. Brother Allen is also a member of the Royal Rosarians, the official City of Portland greeters. He has also spent time as the Treasurer of the Guadalajara Sister City Association ( Guadalajara is Portland’s sister city in Mexico) and currently serves as the Treasurer of two non-profit organizations: the Portland Opera Guild and the Royal Rosarians Foundation. He is also an active member of the exclusive Multnomah Athletic Club.

Gerry is happily married to Jutta, a former member of the German National Swim Team. Fittingly, they met swimming laps in their apartment complex pool. Gerry and Jutta will be celebrating their 17th wedding anniversary this December. Brother Allen is also the proud father of four children: Tara, Erin, Carrie and Marc. When he has free time, Brother Allen enjoys skiing, hiking, working out and traveling. When asked what role Beta Theta Pi helped play in shaping the person he is today, Gerry is quick to credit the fraternity with helping to develop his social skills and giving him the tools he needed to succeed in business.