At the tender age of 7, Chuck Allen received a “Giant Golden Book in Astronomy” from his grandparents (which he still has), then soon after received a telescope from his parents. Chuck began conducting public programs at age of 11 when he joined Louisville Junior Astronomical Society. This set the stage for a deep and lifelong interest in astronomy
Chuck's academic path commenced with his graduation from Duke University in 1970, which was succeeded by his service as a U.S. Air Force officer from 1970 to 1974. Following this, he pursued and completed his law degree at the University of Kentucky in 1977.
Chuck Allen holds the position of Vice-President at the Astronomical League and previously served as the League President from 1998 to 2002. In 1991, he established the National Young Astronomer Award and was honored with the G. R. Wright Award for exceptional service in 1998.
Chuck has garnered the League's Master Outreach Award, boasting a remarkable record of over 500 public programs. He also holds the title of Master Observer-gold. Notably, he oversees three League Observing Programs and recently co-chaired ALCon '21 Virtual.
In his notable involvement within the astronomical community, Chuck has held the presidency at the Louisville Astronomical Society and presently holds the role of Program Director at the Evansville Astronomical Society. From 1995 to 2002, he served as the Lead Judge in earth and space science for the Intel (now Regeneron) International Science and Engineering Fair.