William Clair Turner Jr., James T. and Alice Mead Cleland Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Preaching at Duke Divinity School, died on July 26 at the age of 78. Turner was a pastor, preacher, and educator whose decades of service shaped Duke Divinity School, strengthened ties between Duke University and the Durham community, expanded the study and witness of the Black church, and advanced campus civil rights.
A Lifelong Commitment to Duke, Civil Rights, and the Black Church
Turner was born April 26, 1948 in Richmond, Va., to Ruth Randolph Turner and William Clair Turner Sr. He grew up in a tight-knit African American community where he attended all-Black schools. His grandfather had once lived in Durham, helping to build Duke Hospital. He came to Duke by chance, after a math teacher handed him an application and told him to fill it out and send it in.
As a student, staff member, and professor at Duke University, he witnessed—and was an instrumental part of—Duke’s transition from a southern institution to a world-class university.
As a Duke student and a member of one of the first classes to include Black students, Turner made history in 1966 as one of the first two Black student-athletes to integrate the Duke football team, joining as a walk-on player.
On April 4, 1968, Turner learned of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. while heading back to his residence hall after a physics exam. In response to this pivotal moment, Duke students organized what became known as the Silent Vigil. In the following days, Turner joined more than 1,400 other students who camped in front of Duke Chapel as they advocated for issues affecting the Black community, including better pay for Duke’s hourly employees.
In 1971, Turner joined other Black students in petitioning Duke President James Terry Sanford to create a Black Church Affairs Office, which was launched at the Divinity School in 1972.
In total, Turner spent more than 50 years at Duke University. As a student, he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1971, a master of divinity degree in 1974, and a doctorate in religion in 1984.
Turner held positions within Duke University as dean of Black Affairs (now the Center for Multicultural Affairs), assistant provost, and acting director of the Afro-American Studies program (now African & African American Studies) before joining the Divinity School faculty in 1979, becoming full-time in 1982.
Turner's teaching combined rigorous theological reflection with practical attention to preaching and worship.
Duke President Vincent E. Price presents Turner with the University Medals for Distinguished Meritorious Service, Duke’s highest honor, in 2024.
Turner preaches in Duke Chapel during the 2013 MLK commemoration service.
Turner's daughters, Alice Turner Neal and Jamila Turner Little, honor him during his retirement celebration.