SFSU Public Affairs Press Release
Published by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center.
| SFSU Public Affairs Press ReleasePublished by the Public Affairs Office at San Francisco State University, Diag Center. |
SAN FRANCISCO, CA, October 5, 1998 -- John Franklin True, executive director of computing services at San Francisco State University and a popular, respected figure in technology leadership in the California State University system, died Friday in San Diego. He was 53.
At SF State, True was responsible for administrative and academic computing as well as data communications. He was the head of the campus group that coordinates faculty technology training, wireless communication, curricular web servers and other initiatives. He came to the university in 1984, from a position as manager of the computer installation at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
In California, he served on the Board of Directors of the Hewlett-Packard International Users Group and chaired the California State University system-wide computing Technology Planning Group and the Information Resources Management Council.
"John True was a rare person," said Robert A. Corrigan, president of San Francisco State. "In him, a fine mind was matched by an equally fine spirit. No-nonsense and effective, he was also kind, decent, and possessed of a wonderful dry sense of humor which eased many a meeting.
"His talented leadership meant more to our students than they may have ever known. Thanks in good part to John True, they have what I believe to be the best educational technology access in the CSU.
"He was both admired and tremendously well-liked. We will miss him greatly."
Don Scoble, vice president for business and finance at SFSU, said, "John was able to make a very difficult job work. He was an important figure in the universityóat the leading edge of new technology. I think his departure leaves a major loss for the whole university."
"I personally loved his brand of trenchant humor," Scoble added. "He was a keen, sometimes acidic observer of the passing scene, and itís hard to imagine things without him."
True grew up in Tennessee and received his bachelorís degree from the University of Tennessee in 1966. In 1972, he earned a masters in education from Memphis State University.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Tracy True, of San Mateo, his son Jeff and daughters Jennifer and Julie, and by a cousin, Jenny Kirkland of Union City, Tennessee.
A CampusMemorial is being planned.
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