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John W. Turner, a native of Gardiner, NY, entered Morgan State College in 1959 and immediately became a standout performer for the Golden Bears’ swimming program. During his outstanding four year athletic career, Mr. Turner equaled or surpassed every record at every level in Morgan swimming program history at the time. He also set Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Conference swimming records in every freestyle distance event, as well as in the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medley events.
As a freshman, Mr. Turner anchored the CIAA record setting MSU 4x100-meter freestyle relay team, beginning a trend that saw the 4x100-meter relay teams he anchored have a 23-1 in conference record and a 17-2 record against out of conference opponents. He finished his rookie season second in voting for the CIAA Most Outstanding Swimmer award,
During the 1960-1961 season, Mr. Turner cemented his place in Morgan State athletic history by turning in one of the most impressive individual performances to date at the CIAA Swimming and Diving Championships, breaking three conference championship records at the meet. He began the championships by setting a new record in the 200-meter individual medley (2:49.2), continued on the second day by setting a new record in the 200-yard backstroke (2:31.6), and ended the meet breaking his own record in the 100-yard freestyle by nearly two seconds (55.2). In recognition of this extraordinary championship meet performance, Mr. Turner received the CIAA’s highest honor for a swimmer, the 1961 CIAA Swimming and Diving Championships’ Outstanding Swimmer Award, an honor in which he went on to be runner-up for at both the 1962 and 1963 championships.
In 1963, Mr. Turner was commissioned into the United States Army as a Second Lieutenant after serving in the Morgan State Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program for four years. Upon satisfactory completion of his military commitment, Mr. Turner spent twenty-six years at IBM Corporation where he excelled in several staff, managerial and executive level positions before retiring in 1996. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Turner has also made innumerable contributions to his community. His concern for the plight of his fellow veterans inspired him to become one of the co-founders of The New York State Chapter of the National Amputee Skiers Association, which helped amputee veterans learn to live life after injury through the wonders of skiing and winter outdoor life. Currently as an active member of the Upsilon Tau Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Mr. Turner continues to expand his civic activities in black communities throughout the entire New York City metropolitan area.
Mr. Turner is married to Jewell Tomasicchio Turner and is the proud stepfather to two daughters, Michele and Tina Nicole, and the step-grandfather of Joseph Michael.
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