HOWARD TURNER

TURNER--Howard, former President and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Construction Company, died on April 24th, 2012 at the age of 100. Turner Construction Company was founded in 1902 by Howard Turner's uncle, Henry Chandlee Turner. Born in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania in 1911, Howard graduated from George School in 1929, Swarthmore College in 1933, and MIT in 1936 with a PhD in organic chemistry. Upon graduation, Howard joined the DuPont Corporation as a research chemist. He then joined Pittsburgh Consolidation Coal Company in 1946 to lead their new research and development division. In 1954, Howard joined Jones & Laughlin Steel Company as the Vice President of research and development. Howard joined the Board of Directors of Turner Construction Company in 1952 and in 1965, was selected to serve as President of Turner Construction Company. He served as President and Chief Executive Officer from 1968 to 1971 and Chairman of the Board from 1971 to 1978. From 1978 to 1982, he served as Chairman of the Executive Committee. Under his leadership, the company grew from seven to twenty offices in cities across the United States, formalized its community affairs program, and established the Turner School of Construction Management for minorities and women. During this time the company also launched its international division with operations in four countries and the company's sales grew from $591 million in 1965 to $1.7 billion by 1978. On the occasion of Howard's retirement from Turner, he said, "To lead this company, itself a leader among builders, has been an honor and an exciting opportunity for which I am most grateful. Turner has always been known for its depth of talent, regularly fed from the best of each year's college graduates. The company's growth will, as in the past, be based on the character and high standards of the Turner staff, its commitment to serve its clients and the satisfaction all Turner people feel in making a contribution to building lasting monuments of our civilization." A service for friends and family will be held at the Swarthmore Friends Meeting House on the Swarthmore Campus at 12:00 noon on Saturday, May 5th. Donations in lieu of flowers, can be made to American Friends Service Committee or the Carter Center.