Alexandru Piru (August 22, 1917–November 6, 1993) was a Romanian literary critic and historian. Born in Mărgineni, Bacău County, his parents were Vasile, a notary, and his wife Elena (née Chelaru). In 1936, he graduated from high school in his native city, thereupon enrolling in the literature and philosophy faculty of Iași University. He graduated in 1940, and completed the pedagogical academy in Bucharest the following year. From 1943 to 1944, he taught at the in Iași. Piru then settled for good in Bucharest. In early 1946, he became a teaching assistant in George Călinescu's department at Bucharest University. In mid-1947, he received a doctorate; the thesis dealt with the works of Garabet Ibrăileanu. In 1967, he was awarded a doctorate in philology. Excluded from teaching and from pub