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kidnapped in 1986 and released three and
a half years later).
No, he finally said. “IC will stay where it is.”
As long as the bills are being paid, the
school’s doors will remain open.
Meanwhile, Turner’s real job was with the
Chemical Bank in the Middle East.
Word got to him that two of his US
employees in Iran were in the vicinity on
the very day the hostage crisis erupted
in 1979. Instinct told him to get his
employees out of there immediately.The
employees balked, accusing Turner of
over-dramatizing the situation. Turner
delivered an ultimatum: get on the first
plane out or get fired. (Although the two
men were seized at the airport, they were
released that same day).
Another disaster struck just a year later.
This time it was in Liberia.The partner
of the Chemical Bank was no other than
the Liberian president himself, William
Tolbert. In 1980, Tolbert was assassinat-
ed.The bank directors were gathered and
shot. Devastated, Turner concentrated
on trying to get his American employees
out of the country. He finally succeeded
after appealing to the US government
for help.
“There were decisions all over the place at
the same time,” said Turner. “We had to
make decisions about Beirut, Iran, Egypt,
and Liberia.”
The 1980s saw another momentous deci-
sion in IC’s history: a capital campaign
to build another campus in Ain Aar for
students living in the east side of the
country.The continuous battles had made
it impossible for them to reach Ras Beirut.
Turner came against much resistance.
“Even the US government told me that if
we do this, we are accepting the partition-
ing of the country,” he said, “and that we
would not receive any financial support
for that campus. Even AUB called me and
said don’t do it.”
With the Board’s support, Turner stub-
bornly went ahead with the decision.
In 1988, IC’s Ain Aar branch opened
its doors and today is attended by 854
students. Despite many demands, Turner
insisted that secondary level students
commute to the Ras Beirut campus.
“I believe in IC’s diversified confes-
sional faiths,” he said. “That must not
be disturbed.”
Ironically, Turner, his wife and two
children lived in Beirut for a year in 1974
when he worked for Chemical Bank. IC
meant little to him at the time and he
enrolled his sons at ACS. He first saw
IC when a friend took him to visit the
Meshref campus. It was only two years
later in 1976 – once back in the US – that
he was approached by a bank colleague.
Would he consider becoming the treasurer
of the board of the International College?
He became the chairman nine years later
in 1985.
Often, banks that hold the accounts of an
institution assign a bank member to be on
the Board. Chemical Bank was the bank
at the time. Turner, whose business travels
frequently took him to Lebanon, seemed
like a natural choice.
The son of a teacher, Turner immediately took
a keen interest in the school and its affairs.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
A travel ban in 1981 prevented Turner
from coming to the country but he was on
the first plane back once the ban was lifted
in 1997 and - much to his amusement -
became a media celebrity for a while as
one of the first Americans back.
In 2008, Turner announced IC’s biggest
project yet: the completion of the purchase
of the Ras Beirut campus from AUB and
the construction of the new elementary
school. It took 10 years of negotiation
with AUB but the deal was finally sealed.
In November 2010, ground for the new
construction project was broken and the
building of the new elementary school is
well under way.
“There were days that I asked myself why
am I doing this?” he said. “I never got to
the point where I wanted to quit. But yes, I
asked myself why. Many people have asked
me that. My family has asked me that. But
they are supportive. They understand.”
After almost 50 years of marriage and two
grandchildren, Turner has yet to relent.
He’s been the chairman of four local hos-
pitals, president of his local museum, an
elected official and president of the Golf
Club in his hometown. Other than IC, he
serves on the board of four different com-
panies and already has retired four times.
“At least that’s how many retirement parties
that have been thrown for me,” he chuckled.
On November third, IC held a special
dinner at the Bristol Hotel in Turner’s
honor to thank him for his 35 years of
service to the school.
“I feel very honored to be chairman of
such a great institution for so long,” he
said. “There were a lot of difficult decisions
but, hopefully, the choices we took were
good ones. But when you cut through
everything else, when you have doubts, all
you have to do is meet the kids and you
keep going.
“I never got to the point where I wanted to quit. But
yes, I asked myself why. … My family has asked me
that. But they are supportive. They understand..”
WINTER
2011
5