Blazon:

Arms:  Per pale Gules and Argent two chevronels countercharged all within a bordure countercharged.

Crest:  On a wreath of the colours a demi-griffin Gules beaked and membered Argent maintaining in the dexter foreclaw a sword of the second hilted of the first pointed upward.

Mantling:  Gules doubled Argent.

Motto:  Vincit Qui Se Vincit   (He Conquers Who Conquers Himself)

Badge:  A wreath of magnolia with seven flowers proper encircling a chevron inverted ensigned with a capital letter A all Or.

Design Rationale:

The original inspiration for the design is based on one created by a family member of mine, Rulon C. Allred, for his book The Allred family in America (1965). The blazon of those arms is as follows:
"Gules a chevron Argent three griffin’s heads erased Argent. For a crest: An arm in armor, cross in hand."

The Escutcheon (Shield):
"Per pale Gules and Argent two chevronels countercharged all within a bordure countercharged."

The tincture Gules symbolizes my drive to conquer, prevail, and overcome my competition. Red is often associated with danger, and is used as a warning. As such, the red can be seen as representing a warrior or a fighting spirit. I chose to use the color Gules in honor of my ancestor Jonathan Allred (1758-1822) who fought in the Revolutionary War against the English at the battle of Kings Mountain in 1780.

Argent represents wisdom, intelligence, and cleverness. Silver, the metal represented by Argent, and white, the color which often depicts it in heraldry, can exude a certain calm, calculated, reflectiveness. Scholarship has been, and continues to be, an important and fulfilling part of my life. Moreover, my father, Michael S. Allred (1945-2019), was an extremely wise and intelligent person, having been a successful attorney in Jackson, Mississippi. I chose to use Argent in memory of him.

The chevronel is the diminutive form of a chevron, which represents structure, support, or protection, as in the roof or the rafters of a building. An important priority of mine is to be a supportive husband, providing for and protecting my beloved wife, Mallory. Being a protective husband to her is something that I see as a vital and defining source of fulfillment in my life, and her companionship is precious to me. Additionally, throughout my life, while others have come and gone, my mother, Patricia, has been persistently supportive of me. She has been as vital to my success as a central, load-bearing pillar is to its house. Therefore, I choose to adopt the chevron from Rulon’s arms, and add a second, in their honor.

The use of the counterchanged tinctures creates a complexity which exudes a sophisticated tone, intermingling the Gules and the Argent–the temperate warrior with ferocious wisdom. An important principle of mine is maintaining a balance of scholarship and athleticism. I believe that if in our society our warriors are barbaric and unenlightened, while our scholars are meek and feeble, we are doomed to fail; as our wars will be fought by dullards and our children will be taught to be fearful and pitiful.

The Crest:
"On a wreath of the colors a demi-griffin Gules beaked and membered Argent maintaining in the dexter foreclaw a sword of the second hilted of the first pointed upward. Mantled Gules doubled Argent."

The griffin is a mythological hybrid of an eagle and a lion, which are both the apex predator of their respective dominions. Furthermore, the eagle can be seen as representing the sky and thus a sense of spiritualism or a connection with the mystic; while the lion can be seen as representing the earth and thus a sense of groundedness, strength, and rationality. The hybridization of the two juxtaposes these themes, representing a respect for the unknowable truths along with the observable evidence. Additionally, griffins are thought to be relentless, never giving up, and fighting to the death before surrendering or being taken prisoner.

The cross in the armored arm of Rulon’s crest has here been replaced with a sword. This symbolizes a transition from an overt and strict adherence to religious tenets to an exacting inquiry of all viewpoints and perspectives available. Only after thoroughly viewing a given perspective on its merits, rather than disqualifying it as preposterous before considering it in earnest, can you be equipped to make more authoritative decisions on what is true.

The Motto:
"Vincit Qui Se Vincit" (Latin) - "He Conquers Who Conquers Himself"

An adaptation of a quote of Publius Syrus, this motto symbolizes my goal of excellence, discipline, and improvement. One of my most prominent obstacles in life has been a persistent battle with depression. The strategy that has proved successful for me in overcoming that has been to focus on emotional control and self-discipline. In life, there will always be a perfectly rational excuse to fall into a pit of despair and hopelessness; however, when faced with this realization, I have found it effective to first identify whether there are circumstances within my control that I have the ability to change. If there are, I do that. However, it’s often the case that there is nothing I can do about it. In that case, the next step is to simply accept those circumstances as they are, and carry on nonetheless. This has required learning to assume responsibility for my own emotions and seize control of them, rather than allow them to rule me.

The Badge:
"A wreath of magnolia with seven flowers proper encircling a chevron inverted ensigned with a capital letter A all Or."

The "chevron inverted ensigned with a capital letter A" is a rendition of the brand used to mark horses on the American quarter horse breeding farm that I grew up on in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, called Angle-A Farm. The Magnolia tree is the state tree of Mississippi. As a boy, there was a large Magnolia tree outside my house which I have many fond memories of climbing. The large white flower of the Magnolia tree, the state flower of my home state, is distinct and representative of my family history in the state.