Barbara MacLean Turner (BS ’65; Secondary Education/Science) and John Baumert Turner (BA ’65, Political Science; JD ’67) made the most of their time at The University of Tulsa, accomplishing much in both the classroom and campus activities.
Barbara was a life science education major who excelled in her studies, earning numerous academic honors, and being selected for induction into esteemed honor societies, including Phi Gamma Kappa, Kappa Delta Pi, Mortar Board, and Scroll. She was also active in campus social and service organizations, including Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority and the President’s Club. In 1964, she was named the Sweetheart of Kappa Sigma Fraternity.
After graduating, Barbara went on to a successful and fulfilling career as a high school life science teacher in Tulsa.
John Turner seized many opportunities at TU, becoming a letter winner on the TU Track Team, participating as a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, and serving on the esteemed Tulsa Law Review while he was in law school. But John earned much more than degrees at TU; he also earned Barbara’s hand in marriage, and they have been partners in life for more than 56 years.
John Turner launched a distinguished law career after graduating from The University of Tulsa College of Law, initially serving in the U. S. Navy Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps for three years and continuing to serve in the Navy Reserve for many more years, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander.
John’s strong belief in the power of education led him to continue his legal studies after serving in JAG, and in 1975, he earned an LLM in Taxation at Washington University in St. Louis, working for the Internal Revenue Service during that time in the Chief Counsel’s Office.
His experiences in St. Louis served him well, as he returned to Tulsa and practiced law with a focus on tax litigation and estate planning, and he currently serves as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for First Stuart Corporation and as a Trustee for the Stuart Family Foundation.
John and Barbara Turner hold their alma mater close to their hearts, remembering TU as a place where they pursued their career aspirations, established lifelong friendships and, most importantly, met each other. The couple have generously supported several vital TU initiatives in both academics and athletics for more than four decades, and they have been recognized as members of the esteemed Circle Society, President’s Council, and the Chapman Legacy Society.
In 2012, John Turner made a significant gift in honor of his beloved wife when he established the Barbara MacLean Turner Endowed Scholarship for Life Sciences, a scholarship fund for students majoring in the life sciences, reflecting Barbara’s chosen career path.
Ten years later, in 2022, Barbara Turner paid tribute to her husband and his successful legal career in honor of his 79th birthday by establishing the John B. Turner Endowed Scholarship in Law to assist deserving students in the TU College of Law.
The University of Tulsa is grateful to these loyal alumni, who are devoted to each other and to their alma mater. The TU family looks forward to welcoming Barbara MacLean Turner Life Science Scholars and John B. Turner Law Scholars to our campus for generations to come.
