Inez Knight Allen

Amanda Inez Knight Allen (September 8, 1876 – June 5, 1937 ) was a Mormon missionary and a Utah politician. In 1898, she became one of the first two single women to be missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Amanda Inez Knight was born near Payson, Utah Territory, to Jesse Knight and his wife Amanda McEwan. She was born the fourth of five children; her siblings included brothers Raymond and J. Will Knight and sisters Jennie Knight Mangum and Ione Knight Jordan. The family moved to Provo and Inez Knight enrolled in Brigham Young Academy (BYA). By the age of 22, Knight had completed her studies at BYA and had moved to St. George, Utah, where she was involved in family genealogical research. As missionaries, Knight and Brimhall were frequently asked to speak at public meetings and distribute missionary tracts on the street. Because Knight and Brimhall were the first, and for a time only, lady missionaries serving Europe, they were often asked to travel throughout England to speak. Although Jennie Brimhall returned to Utah in November 1898 due to poor health, Knight continued her mission until 1900 with several other companions, including Liza Chipman and J. Clara Holbrook, both from Utah. Knight returned home from Britain in June 1900, after over two years service throughout Britain, Scotland, and Wales. She was named a member of the executive committee of Governor George Dern's advisory council for unemployment relief in 1931. She served four years as a Democratic national committeewoman, during which time she attended two national conventions, one in New York in 1924 and the other in Houston, Texas in 1928. At times, Allen's political beliefs and religious views clashed. As a national committeewoman for the Democratic party, Inez Allen was a supporter of 1932 Democratic candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, Allen opposed the repeal of the 18th Amendment, one of Roosevelt's platform planks. In 1924, Allen was a Utah delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Because her husband was a Republican, Allen's political experiences were sometimes unique. For example, in 1924, Allen attended both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions, the first she attended as a Democratic national committeewoman, the second she attended with her husband, who was acting as a delegate from Utah.

Personal life In June 1902, Knight married Robert Eugene Allen, a prominent local banker and community developer, in the Salt Lake City temple. Robert Allen was born on December 21, 1877, in Coalville, Utah, to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Allen. They had five sons, including W. Eugene J. Knight, Robert K. Allen, Joseph Knight Allen, and Mark E. Allen.

After her marriage, Inez Allen was active in various areas within the church and the community. From 1927 until her death (10 years) she was a member of the Relief Society's general board. Allen was the matron of the school for two years despite personal setbacks, which included falling ill with smallpox in October 1900. In addition to her leadership in the Relief Society and membership in the Yesharah Society, Allen participated in various other activities and clubs, including the Nelke Reading Club.

In 1937, Allen died unexpectedly in her home in Provo, Utah, of gastritis. Her funeral was held June 9, 1937, and speakers included Dr. Franklin S. Harris, then President of BYU, and Stephen L. Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church). She is buried at the Provo City Cemetery.

Legacy Inez Allen and her husband passed on a legacy of participation in local, state, and national politics to their children. Robert K. Allen served nationally as a U.S. Treasury agent from 1934 to 1945, working both in the United States and at the U.S. Embassy in Paris. He served locally as well, running for Provo City Council in 1961 and for mayor of Provo in 1965. Both Mrs. and Mr. Allen donated generous amounts of money to Brigham Young Academy. Inez Allen began donating as early as 1897. A year before her mission, she donated $10,000 to the institution, the only woman among the ten significant donors that year. As a donor, Allen was asked to give a speech at the 1897 ground-breaking ceremony of the new college building, again being the only woman invited to do so. A men's dormitory hall was named in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Knight in 1937.

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