CHESTER L. TURNER. That there are to be found in our midst today many men and women engaged in educational work who realize to the full the privilege that is theirs in their work of training the young mind, is a fact which we may not disregard and which is one of the fine things encountered from time to time. But it must be admitted that there are a lesser number who are so devoted to their work in their immediate locality that they will decline advancement in their profession rather than to give up their association with the young of their community. Civic loyalty here finds its highest expression, and as such may not pass unnoticed. Prof. Chester L. Turner has demonstrated the character and quality of his devotion to his work in Pittsburg, and given the ultimate proof of the depth of his interest in the education of the rising generations of the city by declining repeatedly to enter the field of college education and assume larger responsibilities. His refusal has been in no sense influenced by any disinclination to take upon himself greater duties and responsibilities, but rather by his stanch and unfailing interest in his own town, believing as he does that Pittsburg offers a better opportunity for the achievement of actual results than does any field outside the domain of public school education. It is gratifying to say that Pittsburg realizes something of the unselfishness and devotion of Professor Turner as evidenced by his continuance in his work here. As superintendent of the public schools of Pittsburg he has been a dominant force in the educational life of the state for almost twenty years. His achievements as directing head of four different city schools of the state place him high among the more able school men of the commonwealth and show him to be a master of the philosophy as well as of the science of education.

Chester L. Turner was born near Poplar Grove, Arkansas, on November 8, 1873, and he is the son of George B. Turner, who was born and reared in Poplar Grove. The father was a man fairly well educated, who engaged in farming after the Civil war and retired finally with the accumulation of a competency sufficient to maintain him in his after years. He joined Captain Turner's Company in a Confederate regiment and served in the Trans-Mississippi Department during the war. He was in the engagement about Helena, at Cotton Plant, as well as participating in other field service of a like character. As a citizen be was one who led a simple, earnest and industrious life with rural interests chief among his activities, and he married Miss Henrietta C. Davis, a daughter of Rev. Davis, a minister of the Missionary Baptist church, who settled in Arkansas from Mississippi, and in that church faith the five children born to them were reared. Three of that number only came to years of maturity, — Shelby G., of Poplar Grove, Arkansas; Chester L., of Pittsburg, Texas, and Miss Euby Turner, also a resident of Poplar Grove.

Concerning the ancestry of the family, it is known that the paternal grandfather of Professor Turner of this review was Bedford Turner, who came out of Virginia to Arkansas and there married Miss Jane Calvert, who was a descendant of Lord Calvert, of Baltimore, and to whom were born three sons, — Sumpter, George B. and Landon.

Until he was a lad of fourteen the country was the abiding place of Chester L. Turner, and at that lime his parents moved to the town of Poplar Grove. There he was graduated from the city schools, following up that training later with a post graduate course. He entered Ouactyta College at Arkadelphia and there in 1893 he took his A. B. degree. He soon after began teaching at Nashville, Arkansas, and three years later when he had finished his work at Jefferson, Texas, he was honored by his Alma Mater with the Master's degree for extension work and for professional attainments.

Professor Turner began his work in Texas as superintendent of the schools of Jefferson in 1894 and his four years of grading, elaboration and amplification enabled him to turn over to the district board a splendid system, with perfect articulation in its mechanism and the most excellent harmony in its atmosphere. He assumed the supervision of the city schools of Mineola next and during his two years there he secured complete affiliation with the University of Texas and set a standard of excellence in operation that thoroughly leavened the educational atmosphere and fabric of the city, and thus added a second victory to his score. At Carthage, where he had the direction of educational affairs for the next six years he brought order out of a somewhat uncertain and chaotic state of public education and set a pace for his successor that led directly toward the ultimate goal he had in mind for that school system and added the cap sheaf to his already glowing reputation as a superintendent, and brought him a reward in service higher up.

The advent of Professor Turner in the schools of Pittsburg dates from 1905, and he assumed charge here after a dozen years of superintendency of a successful nature in other schools of Texas. He has witnessed and helped to bring into being almost a complete metamorphosis in the educational affairs of the county seat and the results have amply justified the wisdom of the school board that discovered and secured this young disciple of Horace Mann to assume the responsibility of the educational destinies of the children of Pittsburg.

When Professor Turner came into the office of superintendent, accommodations for the housing of the pupils were entirely inadequate and inconvenient, comprising a central brick building, two stories in height, and rooms in the city hall where some of the grade teachers were laboring under an immense handicap in their efforts to carry out the work of the course with any degree of efficiency. During his first four years a movement for a new building acquired a momentum that brought about a realization of the hopes of all and a fine brick-building, with two stories and basement, steam heated and with approved sanitation, came into existence and use. The building provides ten teachers' rooms, faculty room, extra class room, office and superintendent 's private reception room. Domestic science and manual training courses are provided for, with suitable work rooms for both departments, and laboratory quarters for extensive work in the sciences whenever the judgment of the superintendent and his advisers shall determine upon that addition to the present curriculum of the school. The work of the school is based upon the now popular Unit system, and the school is affiliated with the various state educational institutions of Texas. It is noteworthy that since the advent of Professor Turner an interest for higher education has permeated the schools, and stimulated seventy-five per cent of its graduates to continue their studies in other schools and colleges, — another evidence of the wisdom of expending $50,000 for suitable school accommodations in the city.

Professor Turner's fame as an educator has extended far beyond the bounds of his own town, or the confines of the state. As a member of the Educational Conference of Texas he has acted with its committee work on various occasions and has attended all the meetings of the Conference during the past several years. At the Dallas meeting in 1908, he delivered the response to the address of welcome of the city, and he was made a member of the committee of the Conference to attempt to bridge the apparent gulf between the common schools and the University of the state. It is worthy of mention that that committee put forth an effort that resulted in removing that barrier and establishing a feeling of common interest and mutual fellowship between the people and its highest house of learning.

As a member of the State Teachers' Association his response to demands upon his time and his experience has always been ready and liberal. Such occasions partake of the nature of the time "experience meetings" where a mutual interchange of ideas results in a mutual help, and those who attend them add fuel to the glowing flame that keeps the educational torch of Texas well lighted. In 1909 Professor Turner v/as a member of the State Normal Board of Examiners, where he did splendid work for the board. Besides his regular school work in the associations and conferences and the miscellaneous duties which necessarily devolve upon him as a citizen, he has carried on studies that are leading him inevitably toward his doctor's degree. His extension work in the Chicago University has been carried on during his summer vacations during the past several years, and it will be readily seen that while he is annually conferring honors upon young people who have finished their work under his direction, he himself is a candidate for honors that shall give him recognition yet further among the men of learning of his state.

On December 25, 1895, Professor Turner was married in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, to Miss Virginia E. Butler, a daughter of John W. Butler, a merchant and farmer and a Virginia settler there. He was a soldier of the Confederacy, and saw much of the hardships of war in those days of Civil strife. He married Miss Laura Scott, who bore him children as follows: Byron, a resident of Murfreesboro, Arkansas; Mrs. Turner; and the Masses Elizabeth and Annie Laurie Butler, residents of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. The Butler family is one of stanch Scotch lineage, and they trace their ancestry direct from the family of Sir Walter Scott. To Professor and Mrs. Turner have been born Virginia Lucile Turner.

As has been mentioned previously, Professor Turner has declined offers of no little advantage to himself, among them the presidency of the Lexington College for Young Women, at Lexington, Missouri, in 1912, and prior to this he refused a call to the presidency of the Mountain Home College at Mountain Home, Arkansas. He has held himself aloof from all such proffers, firm in his determination to carry forward the educational interests of Pittsburg and her people, in which worthy ambition he is staunchly seconded by an appreciative public.

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