Story 1
Let me elab­o­rate on my expe­ri­ence with Jack Allen:

In my senior year at Mission High I had won a Summer schol­ar­ship at the College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, and a Fall schol­ar­ship at the Academy of Art in San Francisco.

I had all fine art classes at the Academy but saw there was an adver­tising class with teacher Jack Allen, so I thought I’d try it. I loved it, it seemed natural to me, and so I felt adver­tising was the direc­tion I should take. Besides, it seemed likely I could make more money in adver­tising than I could as a strug­gling fine artist (duh). To continue my classes I got a part-time job at an anima­tion company, cleaning the office and painting the back of anima­tion cells. (I also got two other part-time jobs) Jack’s class chal­lenged me in devel­oping adver­tising concepts, and my work was displayed at the Academy. After 2 ¹⁄₂ years I left the Academy to find a job (Now married with a baby), and was hired at KPIX in the Art Depart­ment. (I also got my Academy friend Mik Kita­gawa a job there) One after­noon Jack called me at KPIX and asked if I was inter­ested in a posi­tion at Y&R…“bring your port­folio”. I thought If I didn’t get the job, maybe Mik could. So, I went through Mik’s work in his apart­ment putting together HIS port­folio (dumb me). We both went to Y&R with our port­fo­lios, applying for that one posi­tion. Jack was just made Co-Creative Director. Jack hired us both. He said ​“I got two guys for the price of one.” The ​“initi­a­tion” into adver­tising was morning-to-night work for months with breaks for lunch with pitchers of Martinis. We both ​“PASSED” Jack’s class.

I owe my career in adver­tising to Jack Allen.

Dave Sanchez

Story 2
Hi Dick & Ann,

Love what you guys are doing! The verve still is hot in AdLand!

Just a short item re: Jack Allen; he was my first teacher at the Academy of Art, upstairs over Brooks Camera, 2 class­rooms, the founder Mr.Stephens held forth, it’s 1956. Jack was fantastic helped me put together a Port­folio to take to Art Center, drive my ​‘51 Mercury w/ future brother in law to LA, loved my book said ​“well start you as a 2^nd year student, starts next month”! be here! Jack was a fantastic person, like every­body knew- still miss him- the ADASF poster of him handing the reins to Gig was a high­light of my career!

(At 87 still kicking ass w/one leg!)

Cheers,

Bob Pease

Poster 

Ad show award 

Bob Pease 

This was Jack’s President’s letter in 1966 to the members of the Art Direc­tors and Artists of San Francisco.