bˈɔːɹn ɪn ɡˈɑːʃən, ˌɪndiːˈænə, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd twˈɛnti nˈaɪn, tɹˈɔɪɚ ɹᵻsˈiːvd hɪz bˈiː.ˈeɪ. æt də pˈɔːw jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi, hɪz ˈɛm.ˈeɪ. æɾ oʊhˈaɪoʊ stˈeɪt jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi, ænd hɪz pˌiːˈeɪtʃ.dˈiː. ɪn bˈɑːtəni æt kəlˈʌmbiə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi, ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti fˈoːɹ.
Born in Goshen, Indiana, in 1929, Troyer received his B.A. at DePauw University, his M.A. at Ohio State University, and his Ph.D. in botany at Columbia University, in 1954.