Trueman MacHenry

Trueman MacHenry was a student from fall of 1949 to spring of 1952

At BMC, MacHenry studied mathematics with Max Dehn, regarded during his lifetime as one of the world’s greatest mathematicians. Dehn, who taught mathematics, philosophy, Greek, and Italian at the college until his death in 1952, was a respected and revered member of the BMC community.

Unlike most BMC students, MacHenry had experience with livestock. On the farm at Black Mountain College, he could handle a horse, milk the cows, build fences, and work in the hay fields. In fact, MacHenry proved so able that Doyle had him oversee all new farm projects, which, in 1951-52, were steadily increasing.

Snippets taken from a biography of Trueman MacHenry that was written by David Silver for the Journal of Black Mountain College Studies. Trueman also wrote a journal article himself on his time at BMC.

Black Mountain College Project

Mary Emma Harris interviewed Trueman in 1997 and the transcript is available from Appalachian State University under The Mary Emma Harris and Black Mountain College Project, Inc. Oral History collection.

Topics: Hearing about BMC – class with Siskind and Callahan – general BMC classes – participation in theater productions – Robert Rauschenberg – college atmosphere and education ideas – college conflicts – graduation in mathematics – study with Max Dehn – Toni Dehn – death of Max Dehn – arts festival at Women’s College in Greensboro – Flola Shepard – Light Sound Music Workshop – farm – Victor Sprague – Charles Olson and his treatment of women – Quakers at BMC

Courses Taken

Fall 1949-1950: Linguistics with Sheppard, French with Sheppard, Advanced Mathematics with Dehn, Theory of Knowledge with Dehn

Spring 1949-1950: Linguistics with Sheppard, French with Sheppard, AdvancedMathematics with Dehn, Drawing with Fiore

Spring 1950-1951: Percussion with W. P. Jennerjahn, non-Euclidian Geometry with Dehn, Calculus with Dehn, and Work Program

Summer 1951: Dancing with Litz (dropped), Russian A. Goldowski

Fall 1951-1952: Mathematical Analysis Tutorial with Dehn, Russian tutorial withA. Goldowski, Work Program

Spring 1951-1952: Mathematics Tutorial with Dehn