In Memoriam: Dr. Ethan Allen
Founder of Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse
July 6, 1923 – March 21, 2022
Over half a century ago, Dr. Ethan Allen thought something should be done about alcohol and drug abuse and its devastating effect on families. It was the tune-out, turn-on, psychedelic age, and lots of people had the same thought. Dr. Allen did something. He and his wife, Alice Allen, founded the Rio Hondo Area Drug Abuse Coalition in 1971, which evolved into what is now Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse (L.A. CADA).
Born in Fargo, North Dakota, Dr. Allen graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1943 with an electrical engineering degree. Wanting to do more to help others, he moved to California and graduated from the College of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons in LA, in 1951. With the founding of L.A. CADA, Dr. Allen and his wife worked throughout five decades to create resources for families suffering with alcohol, drug, and mental health issues. His legacy is one of the largest non-profit continuums of care for behavioral health in Los Angeles County serving vulnerable, low-income populations.
Dr. Allen passed away on Monday, March 21st, 2022, and his loss leaves all of us at Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse overcome. Yet, we are endlessly grateful for his work and that of Alice Allen.
In lieu of flowers, Dr. Allen’s family requests that donations be made to his lifetime work at L.A. CADA.
Call (562) 777-7500 for information.