Cal Turner Jr.
Cal Turner Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 25, 1940 Scottsville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Chairman and CEO of Dollar General |
| Notable work | My Father's Business: The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General Into a Billion-Dollar Company (2018) |
Hurley Calister "Cal" Turner Jr. (born January 25, 1940) is an American billionaire entrepreneur and benefactor. He held the positions of chairman and CEO at Dollar General, the discount variety store chain established by his father, Cal Turner Sr.
Early life
Turner Jr., the oldest of four children including his sister Laura Dugas, was born to Laura and Cal Turner in Scottsville, Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in 1962 and subsequently served in the United States Navy from 1962 until 1965.
Business career
Turner's professional journey at Dollar General started in December 1965 with entry-level duties such as warehouse maintenance. He advanced to become president in 1977 and assumed the roles of chairman and CEO by 1988, maintaining these leadership positions until 2003. Notably, during his leadership, he compelled both his father and brother to exit the company.
In addition to his work at Dollar General, Turner has been a board member for First American Corporation and First American National Bank, and participates in the CEO Council of Council Capital.
His net worth classifies him as a billionaire.
Philanthropy
Turner is actively involved with Vanderbilt University as a trustee, where in 1994 he funded the Cal Turner Program For Moral Leadership in the Professions within the Owen Graduate School of Management. Together with his sister Laura Dugas, he contributed a pipe organ to Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music. He also serves on Lindsey Wilson University’s board of trustees in Kentucky.
In 2015, through the Cal Turner Family Foundation, he provided $1.2 million to establish the Turner Family Center for Social Ventures at Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management.
His charitable engagements have included trusteeships at Fisk University, participation with Nashville’s PENCIL Foundation dedicated to public education, involvement with YMCA of Middle Tennessee, and Easter Seals Tennessee supporting children with disabilities. Additionally, he is part of the Leadership Council at Lipscomb University’s Andrews Institute.
Turner’s foundation donated $3 million to construct the Cal Turner Family Center at Meharry Medical College in Nashville and founded the Cal Turner Jr. Center for Church Leadership at Martin Methodist College located in Pulaski, Tennessee.
Among his honors are the 1988 Presidential Award for Private Sector Initiatives from President Ronald Reagan and the Stanley S. Kresge Award presented by the United Methodist Higher Education Foundation.
Personal life
Turner was married to Margaret until her passing in 2019 and they have a son named Cal Turner III. Their residence was in Fieldstone Farms, Franklin, Tennessee, near Nashville. He is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and is skilled in playing both piano and pipe organ.
Works
- My Father's Business: The Small-Town Values That Built Dollar General Into a Billion-Dollar Company (2018), co-written with Rob Simbeck