| This study examines the life of Benner Creswill Turner, who was president of South Carolina State College (State College) from 1950 to 1967. On February 8, 1968 there were shootings by police at South Carolina State College, called the Orangeburg Massacre. The prevalent opinion is that the indirect cause of the shootings was due to the poor leadership of the administration at the college, particularly of President Turner. Thus history up to this point has viewed him in a negative manner. However, a new thread of literature has re-examined the lives and administrations of Turner's contemporaries, placing them and their legacies in a different perspective. Thus this study examined Turner's legacy and his life outside of the presidency of State College.;This study adopted qualitative research traditions of biography (life history) and case study. I collected and analyzed data through historical primary documents from 12 repositories as well as interviewed 11 information rich participants.;The study revealed significant findings with regards to the life, presidential administration, and legacy of Turner. The data revealed that Turner's father was influential in shaping Turner's educational philosophy and approach to administering South Carolina State College. Moreover, the findings show that through institutional racism, Turner's career ambition of establishing a law practice in Georgia was stalled, which redirected him into the field of education.;Furthermore, the data uncovers that as president of South Carolina State College, Turner's perceived conservative attitude towards Civil Rights and segregation was misunderstood. Turner sought the material gain for State College and African Americans in the state of South Carolina by working within the system to obtain more money from the state legislature to improve the conditions of South Carolina State College. Additionally, the findings show that Turner's leadership style was not one dimensional, but was multidimensional operating on a leadership spectrum as a transactional, transformational, academic and African American leader. Finally, the data has resurrected his legacy in which he is seen as a man who had a vested interest in South Carolina State College, African American students, and racial uplift. |
