Philip Wymer Allen was born August 3, 1918 in Russell Iowa.
Allen obtained a bachelor of science degree from Parsons College in Iowa in 1940; one year of education at Iowa State College in 1941; Associates degree in Meteorology from the University of Chicago, Illinois in 1942; and one year of education at UCLA in 1967.
Allen was active in the United States Army Air Corps from June 23. 1941 to January 16, 1946.