Trueman was born in
Nottingham, the son of Elijah Trueman, a lacemaker, and his wife Thirza Newton Cottee. He was educated at High Pavement School in Nottingham from 1899 to 1911, then became a student teacher at Huntington Street School, Nottingham. He entered
University College Nottingham in 1912 with a grant as a teacher in training, and studied
Geology under
H. H. Swinnerton, graduating
B.Sc. with first-class honours in 1914. He gained an M.Sc. in 1916 and doctorate (
D. Sc.) in 1918, all from University College Nottingham. Trueman's first academic post was as Assistant Lecturer at
University College, Cardiff, from late 1917 until 1920. From 1920 on, he was lecturer and head of the Department of Geology at the newly established
University College, Swansea, and was appointed Professor of Geology and head of the Department of Geography in 1930. In 1933, he was appointed Channing Wills Professor of Geology at the
University of Bristol, where he also served as Dean of the Faculty of Science for three years. Amongst his students at that time was the young future Professor
L. R. Moore. In 1937, he was appointed chair of geology at the
University of Glasgow until 1946, when he was succeeded by his student
Neville George. In 1938 he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were John Walton,
George Tyrrell,
John Weir and
James Kendall. In 1942 he was also elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of London. From 1946 until 1953 he served on the
University Grants Committee, and was chair from 1949. From 1945 to 1947, he was president of the
Geological Society of London. He also served as chairman of the
British Association Committee on the Teaching of Geology in Schools, as president of the Geological Section of the
Bristol Naturalists' Society, and president of the Glasgow Geological Society. He was knighted by King
George VI in 1951. He died in
London on 5 January 1956. ==Family==