Darwin T. Turner

In 1947, at the age of 16, Darwin T. Turner became the youngest student to ever graduate from the University of Cincinnati. This is an impressive accomplishment for anyone, but more impressive because Turner was a Black man. Turner graduated the same year Jackie Robinson started his rookie season. Turner could not live on campus during his time here at UC because the university did not provide any housing for Black students until the 1950s. After finishing his bachelor’s degree, Turner earned his masters in English at UC, and then went on to get his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. He became an English professor at the University of Iowa in 1972 and was well known for his writing and English composition. The UC Minority Scholars Program, which supports underrepresented groups across campus with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion, was renamed the Turner Scholar Program in his honor. Turner Hall was also named after Darwin T. Turner.