Born in California on October 18, 1959, Allyn gained his bachelor's degree in government from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where he attended the School of Foreign Service.
Dilahirkan di California pada 18 Oktober 1959, Allyn memperoleh gelar sarjana dalam pemerintahan dari Universitas Georgetown di Washington, D.C., di mana ia menghadiri School of Foreign Service.