Earlham College

The work of Edwin P. Trueblood brought acceptance of sports and the culture of athletics to the Earlham College community. Trueblood Fieldhouse, which served as the home to Quaker indoor athletics and physical education from 1923 to 1999, was named in his honor. A pioneer in the field of speech, Trueblood served Earlham as a professor of speech from 1888 to 1938. He founded both the Department of Speech and debate programs for both men and women at Earlham. He collaborated with representatives from Manchester and Goshen colleges to found the International Peace Speech Association and served on its executive committee. A native of Salem, Ind., Trueblood earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Earlham College as well as a graduate degree from the University of Michigan. Professor Trueblood was known to be successful because his simple faith and kindly spirit encouraged his students to do their best. Having died in 1951 at the age of 89, Trueblood received his Hall of Fame induction posthumously.