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biography from Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
BENJAMIN TRUEBLOOD, of Oskaloosa, President of Penn College and Professor of Mental and Moral Science, is the son of Joshua and Esther (Parker) TrueMood, born in Salem, Ind., Nov. 25, 1847. His father, a native of North Carolina, born March 25, 1815, was a farmer by occupation, and now resides in Tonganoxie, Kan. The mother is a native of Azalia, Ind., was born in 1819, and died in Plainfield, Ind., in March, 1884. The parental family consisted of six children, of whom the record is as follows: The first child died in infancy; Erastus died at the age of eight years; Benjamin, our subject, was the third in order of birth; Alpheus is a minister of the Society of Friends and Pastor of the church at Amboy, Ind.; William P. is an educator; he graduated from Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., in 1875, and is now Principal of the Friends' Academy at Tonganoxie, Kan.; Hannah A. became the wife of Milton Schooley, a farmer of Hendricks County, Ind. The boyhood days of the subject of our sketch were passed upon the farm and in attendance at the Common schools. At the age of seventeen he entered upon a course of study at the Friends' Academy at Salem, Washington Co., Ind., receiving his Preparatory Course previous to entering Earlham College. In this institution he took a classical Course, graduating therefrom in 1869, in the meantime being engaged as Principal of a Friends' Academy, which position he retained for two years before graduating, he subsequently became Principal of Raisin Valley Seminary, a prominent institution of the Friends at Adrian, Mich. After the termination of his engagement here he returned to the college from which he had graduated, as Professor of English Literature, and was here for two years. In 1873, upon the opening of Penn College, Prof. Trueblood was tendered the chair of Professor of Latin and Greek in this institution. He accepted, and remained here for one year, then, receiving a call to the Presidency of Wilmington College, at Wilmington, Ohio, he went thither and remained five years, or until 1879, when he resigned that office to accept the Presidency of Penn College, with which institution he has been connected since that time, Under his superintendence the college has steadily prospered and doubled the number of its college students. He has managed its finances with judicious care, and it has been enabled to pay off a large indebtedness which had been contracted previous to his connection with it. The college is now out of debt and fully established in the confidence of the people of this locality. President Trueblood, after giving several years of his time and energies to the building up of this institution, was greatly in need of a vacation, and accordingly, in 1886. took a trip to Europe, in the meantime having the interests of the college always at heart, and endeavoring to secure such information as might be of benefit to it through his subsequent advice and instruction. He visited England, Scotland and France, making a tour of all the leading cities of the British Empire, and his researches in the Old World formed a fund of valuable and interesting information, which he has imparted to the test of his ability to the pupils who are pursuing their studies at the institution over which he presides, In addition to his duties in connection with Penn College, President Trueblood preaches regularly in the Friends' Church near the college, and his time is constantly employed. He is a conscientious student, and his deep interest in the success of his college and his church is beyond question. The marriage of President Trueblood and Miss Sarah H. Terrill was celebrated in New Vienna,, Ohio, Aug 17, 1872. Mrs. T. is the daughter of Israel A. and Sydney H. (Hough) Terrell, and was born in New Vienna, Jan. 6, 1852. Of this union there have been three children, as follows: Irvin C., born Sept. 26, 1875, died July 11, 1877;Lyra Dale, born Sept. 23, 1877, and Florence Esther, Sept. 9, 1883. President T. owns and occupies a fine residence in the northern part of the city. As an instructor and scholar his equal is rarely found, and as a business man and a citizen, his talents are of undoubted ability. Socially he is held in high esteem, and the home of himself and his amiable and accomplished lady is the resort of the cultured people of the city.
Portrait & Biographical Album of Mahaska Co., Iowa, 1887
Mahaska County, Iowa Genealogy