Jack Allan was born in 1916 in Invercargill, and died on November 4, 2015.

He was a New Zealand educator at the University of Waikato.

He attended Timaru Boys’ High School before enrolling at the Dunedin Teachers’ Training College.

Jack was the founding principal of the Hamilton Teachers College, he died after suffering a minor fall several weeks ago,

He was a central figure in transforming the Hillcrest site of what is now the University of Waikato into what it is today.

Jack was responsible for overseeing the construction, staffing and setting up of the Teachers College, which later become the School of Education at the university

He was a Principle at the Hamilton Teachers College in 1959, he retired in 1979.

During those years, Jack was awarded the senior fellowship by the Imperial Trust Relations at the London Institute of Education.

He and Joan his wife, travelled to London with three of their children to live for a year.

Jack Allan was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Waikato in 1980.

He was also awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Jack Allan passed away at 99 years old in Waikato Hospital on November 4, 2015.