I am Leaving and not Looking Back: The Life of Benner C. Turner A dissertation presented to the faculty of the College of Education of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Travis D. Boyce June 2009 © 2009 Travis D. Boyce. All Rights Reserved. 2 This dissertation titled I am Leaving and not Looking Back: The Life of Benner C. Turner by TRAVIS D. BOYCE has been approved for the Department of Educational Studies and the College of Education by Francis E. Godwyll Assistant Professor of Educational Studies Renée A. Middleton Dean, College of Education 3 ABSTRACT BOYCE, TRAVIS D., Ph.D., June 2009, Curriculum and Instruction, Cultural Studies I am Leaving and not Looking Back: The Life of Benner C. Turner (297 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Francis E. Godwyll 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 4 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. Approved: _____________________________________________________________ Francis E. Godwyll Assistant Professor of Educational Studies 5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS There is an old African proverb: “It takes a village to raise a child.” In the world of a Ph.D candidate, this proverb rings true; it takes a village to produce a Ph.D. In this regard, there are numerous people who in some fashion have contributed to helping me to complete this study. I would like to first acknowledge and thank my dissertation committee, who took time out of their busy lives to provide me with the guidance and feedback that allowed me to complete this study. Thank you all for taking an interest in my research and challenging me: my chair and advisor Dr. Francis Godwyll, Dr. Frans Doppen, Dr. Rosalie Romano, and Dr. Adah Ward-Randolph. You have each contributed to making my research a valuable contribution to its field of study. I thank my immediate family for their support in my educational and career endeavors. You are all the best: my father Dorie N. Boyce, Sr.; my mother Elaine W. Boyce; my brothers Dorie N. Boyce, Jr. and Abram F. Boyce; my aunt Laura Boyce Wilson; and my cousin Michael “Junior” Wilson. Thank you for supporting me! I’m grateful to my Ohio University family, which includes my Cultural Studies colleagues: Jim Addington, Collins Annin, Catherine Cutcher, Dominic Dadzie, Wisdom Mensah, Sumiko Miyafusa, Cort Schneider, and Mito Takeuchi. Thank you for helping me to develop my topic and for providing continuous feedback to my study. I specifically would like to acknowledge among my friends and colleagues, Winsome Chunnu. Thank you for being a friend to me, but especially during the times when I was discouraged and thought all was lost. You are one of the major reasons I was able to complete my Ph.D. For this, I am eternally grateful. 6 There are numerous faculty and staff at Ohio University who have, over the years, supported me during my Ph.D process. I thank Ann Addington, Gerad Akindes, Alicia Boards, Dr. Danita Brown, Dr. Francine Childs, Linda Daniels, Angela Davis, Dr. Marvin Fletcher, David Garcia, Dr. Dawn Jenkins, Dr. Katherine Jellison, Dr. Anne Lombard, Dr. Raymie McKerrow, and Michael Sprinkle, as well as many faculty and staff who provided some words of encouragement during my Ph.D process. I would like to credit my research participants for taking their time to be interviewed for this study. In addition, I would like to acknowledge the many librarians, archivists, and scholars who provided assistance as I gathered primary historical data: Ashley Till and Barbara Keitt from South Carolina State University Historical Collection; Richard Reid, an independent scholar from Orangeburg, South Carolina; Ruth Quattlebaum from Phillips Academy; Edwin Moloy from Harvard University Archives; Kuen Yu of Harvard University Law School; Carmen Beck from Lincoln University of Missouri’s Archives; and Joellen El Bashir from Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University. Further, I would like to thank my outsider readers who provided editorial feedback for this study: Alden Waitt, who served as an editor for my dissertation proposal; and Will Dewees and Jan Hall, who have provided feedback. 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables .................................................................................................................... 15 List of Figures ................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................ 17 Introduction of the Study .............................................................................................. 17 Background of the Study .............................................................................................. 19 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................. 28 Purpose of Study ........................................................................................................... 31 Research Questions ....................................................................................................... 31 Delimitations of Study .................................................................................................. 32 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................. 32 Definition of Terms ...................................................................................................... 33 Organization of Study ................................................................................................... 34 Chapter Two: Literature Review ...................................................................................... 35 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 35 History of African American Education (HBCUs) ....................................................... 35 Importance of Education for African Americans ...................................................... 36 The Origins of HBCUs ............................................................................................. 41 Challenges of the Brown v. Board of Education Decision to HBCUs ..................... 44 8 The Impact of Brown to HBCUs in Recent History ................................................. 56 The Relevancy of HBCUs in the 21st Century .......................................................... 63 HBCU Presidents in the Literature ............................................................................... 65 Historical Perceptions ............................................................................................... 65 Paradigm Shift .......................................................................................................... 68 Turner in the Literature ............................................................................................. 74 The Concepts of Leadership ........................................................................................