Background
Truman, David Bicknell was born on June 1, 1913 in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Son of Malcolm George and Jane Mackintosh Truman.
Truman, David Bicknell was born on June 1, 1913 in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Son of Malcolm George and Jane Mackintosh Truman.
Bachelor, Amherst College, 1935. Master of Arts, University Chicago, 1936. Doctor of Philosophy, University Chicago, 1939.
Doctor of Humane Letters, Amherst College, 1974. Doctor of Laws, Mount Holyoke College, 1978.
He is also known for his role as a Columbia University administrator during the Columbia University protests of 1968. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Amherst and his doctorate from the University of Chicago. He taught at a number of institutions before joining Columbia University in 1951.
There, in addition to teaching political science, he undertook a number of administrative roles, serving successively as head of the department of public law and government (1959-1961), Dean of Columbia College (1962-1967), and Vice-President & Provost (1967-1969).
In 1969, Truman "stepped down after a tumultuous year of student unrest. During the student-lead takeover of the University, Truman was continually mentioned as a University administrator who retained the student body"s respect."
Truman became president of Mount Holyoke College in 1969 and stayed until 1978.
Truman oversaw the decision to remain a woman"s college in 1971. His obituary from Mount Holyoke noted, "both at Columbia and Mount Holyoke, Truman was involved in dealing with the significant student unrest of the late 1960s and 1970s.
At both campuses he faced student protests and takeovers regarding such difficult issues as race and the Vietnam War.
Despite these challenges, which were common on college campuses during the Vietnam Era, Truman left a lasting legacy as a warm and caring leader.".
Truman was a prominent political scientist and is known for his contributions to the theory of political pluralism.
Trustee Amherst College, 1964-1970, 20th Century Fund, New York, 1968-2003. Trustee, president Russell Sage Foundation, New York, 1967-2003. Lieutenant (junior grade) United States Naval Reserve, 1943-1947.
Fellow American Academy Arts and Letters. Member American Philosophies Society, American Political Science Association (president 1965), Student Loan Marketing Association (director 1977-1988), Social Science Research Council (director 1951-1988).
Married Elinor Griffenhagen, February 4, 1939. 1 child, Edwin Malcolm.
