Trent was born in Bradley County, Tennessee to his mother Lida L. Trent. His early years were spent on a family farm with his mother and sister, Jean.[2][3] He earned his Bachelor's degree from Berea College in 1929.[4] By 1930 he was living with his mother in Starkville, Mississippi in a boarding house.[5] He obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. from Indiana University where his thesis was on diaphragmless microphones.[6][7] While working on his degrees he served on the faculties of Indiana University, Mississippi State, and Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College[4]