Captain James F. A. Turner, USAF Retired"If
I had an X-ray done today, the doctor would find a picture of LMC in my
heart," is how Captain James F, A. Turner feels about the impact Lake
Michigan College has had on his life, giving him a solid foundation for
his 'Dozen' careers.
Captain James Turner is known as the Father of Military Civil Rights Education. Friday, May 1, 1968, he established the 'First' Military Human Relations Council, initiated and taught the 'First' Race Relations and Equal Opportunity classes in the Air Force. In 1971-1973, Captain Turner was one of the consultants to President Richard Milhous Nixon's Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird on matters of race relations and equal opportunity. At LMC James and his brother Clifton were the starting guards on the Varsity Basketball Team. He was elected LMC freshman class representatives and was NAACP Youth Council, President. James left his heart at LMC, where he returned from the military. As an Officer of the U. S. Federal District Court he established on the LMC Main Campus, an office of Community Education Council office for (Benton Harbor, Coloma, Eau Claire Schools,) and he became a founding member of the LMC Alumni Association Board of Directors. He has profound memories of LMC faculty, 'first' Coach Gene Morgan, appointed Jim Turner as Captain of the Varsity Basketball team, Turner describes Morgan as one of the 'Best' educators in his life. Coach Morgan inspired him in the classroom to study and learn, as an outstanding leader who shared his 'genius' as a basketball coach. Librarian, Herr Hessell, increased his love for reading and writing. Jim Turner was directly influenced by Dr. Clarence Beckwith, who was one of his most avid supporters, President Beckwith travelved with the basketball and tennis teams. |
He earned an Associate In Arts degree in 1960 from LMC, in 1967 he received a B. S. Degree in Police Administration (Law Enforcement, Security, Penology and Corrections) at Omaha University, and his Master In Arts Degree was conferred in 1978. He attended Graduate level studies at two of Great Britain's Institutions of Higher Education: Stirling University, Stirling, Scotland, and Brighton College Sussex-Falmer, England.
Commissioner James Turner served six years as a City Legislator in Benton Harbor and President and Chaiman of the Board of Directors, for 'HUD' B. H. Public Housing Authority for 13 years. He has numerous affiliations with International, National, Regional, State and local public and government and community organizations: 32 consecutive years in Rotary International, former Board of Dirertors: Eastern Rotary Club of Eastern Michigan University, St. Joe/Benton Harbor Rotary, and San Antonio Rotary Club, the largest Rotary Club in the World (34,000 Clubs in 170 countries.) NAACP Board of Directors: State of Texas Conference of Branches, San Antonio Branch, and former Twin Cities Branch (St. Joe/Benton Harbor.) Past President/Chairman of the State Board of Education for Michigan's 29 commnity colleges for 16 years. Executive Vice President, National Council for School Desegregation and liasion to the National School Board Association. |
Board of Directors: Alamo City Black Chamber of Commerce and the City of San Antonio Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission which sponsors the largest March in the country (150,000 attended in 2012.)
He is founder, President/CEO and principal owner of M&T Paradigm Group Financial Institute One, where he establishes national professional mortgage education schools within workforce development programs in institutions of higher education. Formerly, a Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer. Presently a business developer, consultant to entities in commercial real estate. Captain James F. A. Turner, USAF Retired, recorded and released a 90 minute Audio-Book "GLAD TO BE AMERICAN," and is a writer for the San Antonio "SNAP" an African American weekly newspaper. He is currently writing producing two anthologies: two historical fictions, books, (manuscripts) and working of two Film Documentary. |
