R. Gerald Turner
Robert Gerald Turner (born November 25, 1945) is the President of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. One of the most highly-compensated university presidents in the United States, Turner has been hailed as a "transformational" figure who helped rehabilitate SMU's national reputation following the infamous 1980s football scandal and NCAA death penalty. His tenure as president, the longest in SMU history, has also been marked by legal confirmation of the university's independence from the United Methodist Church, unprecedented campus expansion and building, and record-breaking capital campaigns, as SMU's endowment surpassed $1 billion.
R. Gerald Turner | |
|---|---|
| 10th President of Southern Methodist University | |
| Assumed office June 5, 1995 | |
| Preceded by | A. Kenneth Pye |
| 14th Chancellor of the University of Mississippi | |
| In office April 2, 1984 – 1995 | |
| Preceded by | Porter Lee Fortune Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Robert Khayat |
| Vice President of Executive Affairs University of Oklahoma | |
| In office 1978–1984 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 25, 1945 |
| Spouse | Gail Turner |
| Children | 2 daughters |
| Alma mater | Lubbock Christian College Abilene Christian University University of Texas at Austin |
| Occupation | Academic administrator |
| Known for | President of Southern Methodist University |
At the same time, Turner has drawn criticism for failing to translate his fundraising prowess into significant improvements in the national rankings of SMU and its constituent colleges. Further, Turner has courted controversy for his decision to bring the George W. Bush Presidential Center to SMU, and, more recently, the university's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before coming to SMU, Turner served as Chancellor of the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") from 1984 to 1995. Under his leadership, Ole Miss increased its endowment from $8 million to $64 million.