Cal Turner Explained

Cal Turner
Birth Name:Hurley Calister Turner
Birth Date:May 28, 1915
Birth Place:Macon County, Tennessee, U.S.
Death Date:November 20, 2000 (aged 85)
Death Place:Scottsville, Kentucky, U.S.
Occupation:Businessman
Spouse:Laura Katherine Goad
Children:Laura Dugas
Cal Turner Jr.
Betty Campbell
Steve Turner
Parents:James Luther Turner
Josephine Marcum

Hurley Calister "Cal" Turner (May 28, 1915 – November 20, 2000) was an American businessman. He was the co-founder of Dollar General alongside his father.

Early life

Cal Turner was born on May 28, 1915, in Macon County, Tennessee.[1] His father, James Luther Turner, was a traveling salesman who, during the Great Depression, found success selling-off store inventories before the stores had to close down.[1]

Business career

Turner co-founded J. L. Turner & Son Wholesale with his father, J.L. Turner, in Scottsville, Kentucky, in 1939.[1] It later became known as Dollar General, a chain of dollar stores.[1] He listed it on the New York Stock Exchange in 1968.[1] He retired in 1989.[1] By the time of his death, it had "4,800 discount stores in 25 states."[1]

Philanthropy

Turner endowed the Turner Family Scholarships for Dollar General employees in 1999.[2]

Personal life

Turner married Laura Katherine Goad.[1] They had four children: Laura Dugas, Cal Turner Jr., Betty Campbell, and Steve Turner.[1] [2] His wife predeceased him in 1988.[1]

Death

Turner died on November 20, 2000, in Scottsville, Kentucky.[1]

Notes and References

  1. News: Martin . Douglas . November 20, 2000 . Cal Turner, 85; Founded Dollar General . The New York Times . November 8, 2015 .
  2. Web site: Cal Turner Program For Moral Leadership in the Professions: Cal Turner Jr.: Chairman, Cal Turner Family Foundation . The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee . November 9, 2015.