Michael D. True, Ph.D., HA’01 (1933—2019)
Michael D. True, 85, passed away on April 28. A retired professor and peace activist, Prof. True taught English, American literature, and peace studies from 1965 to 1997 at Assumption and chaired the English Department from 1974 to 1976 and in 1988. He was fondly remembered as a “teacher, writer, and lifelong activist who loved life, music, good food, conversation, and his family.”
Prof. True wrote several books, and his essays and reviews have been published in periodicals such as America, Commonweal, and National Catholic Reporter, among many others. During his impressive career, he served on the faculty of 20 institutions of higher learning including Colorado College, Columbia University, and Duke University. As a Fulbright lecturer, he taught in India and China.
The Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development named him the Peace Educator of the Year, and Prof. True was also honored with the Peace Studies Association Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedication to peaceful activism and nonviolence. He enjoyed a passion for poetry, founding the Worcester County Poetry Association.
Prof. True earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Oklahoma, a master’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in American literature from Duke.