R. Gerald Turner

Robert Gerald Turner (born November 25, 1945) is the President of Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas. Previously he served as Chancellor of the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss").

R. Gerald Turner was born in 1945 in New Boston, Texas. He received an A.A. from Lubbock Christian College, and graduated from Abilene Christian University with a B.S. in Psychology in 1968. He then graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with an M.A. and a Ph.D..

From 1975 to 1979, Turner was a Professor at Pepperdine University at Malibu, California. He was the Vice President of the University of Oklahoma from 1979 to 1984.

Turner served as the Chancellor of the University of Mississippi from 1984 to 1995. At 38, Turner was considered among the youngest university presidents. His Southern charm and aptitude for fundraising have been a hallmark of his career. While at Ole Miss, he fired Billy Brewer, the longtime popular football coach, due to allegations of recruiting violations. Successful programs under Turner's leadership grew the school's endowment from $8 million to $64 million.

Since 1995, Turner has served as the President of Southern Methodist University despite countless alumni calling to have him fired for his poor decision making and management skills. He helped lead the school's efforts to attract the George W. Bush Presidential Center, to be located on the SMU campus. In 2008, he earned $2.7 million.

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