In Memoriam 

Derek Allen 

1947-2023 

 

So often we hear the phrase “a gentleman and a scholar,” but so 

rarely do we know someone who truly deserves that title. Derek Al-

len, who died unexpectedly at the end of April, was such a person. 

Quiet in his demeanour and gracious in manner, this surface hid a 

fierce intellect that could cut to the heart of a paper and identify ex-

actly what was wrong (or right) with an argument. He was a frequent 

contributor to Informal Logic, with papers distributed over more than 

three decades. And he was an even more frequent referee for the 

journal, providing the kinds of detailed, constructive reviews that au-

thors valued and that the editors came to rely upon. Derek gave every 

task his total commitment. Alas, his perceptive keynote address at 

the last Ontario Society for the Study of Argumentation (OSSA) con-

ference in 2020 was to be his final contribution to an important body 

of work that will continue to repay careful study. We will all miss his 

thoughtful counsel and selfless industry.