Charles Edward Turner (September 13, 1886 – March 5, 1936) was an American real estate developer and politician who served as mayor of

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

from 1932 to 1935.

Biography

Turner was born in

Richardson, Texas Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 119,469. Richardson is an inner suburb of the city of Dallas. It is home to the University ...

to John Edward Turner and Mary E. Heffington. He married Valine Leachman, daughter of George Sidney Leachman and Margaret Eugenia Whaley. They had two children. He began his career as a traveling salesman for a drug company. By 1914 he had become involved in real estate. In 1917 he enlisted and was commissioned as an officer in the 345th Machine Gun Battalion. He was given his own command in 1919 and saw action service in France. Returning to Dallas after the war, he continued making a living through real estate establishing his own company. Prior to election as mayor, he served the city as a member of the city council and Mayor pro tem. As Mayor pro tem, he assumed the office of mayor upon the unexpected death of Tom Bradford and was subsequently elected for a term as mayor in his own right. He is credited with efforts to secure the construction of the railroad underpass for Elm-Main-Commerce (later known as the "Triple Underpass") and to have Dallas accepted as the location for the

Texas Centennial The Texas Centennial Exposition was a world's fair presented from June 6 to November 29, 1936, at Fair Park, Dallas, Texas. A celebration of the 100th anniversary of Texas's independence from Mexico in 1836, it also celebrated Texas and Western Uni ...

celebration. Mr. Turner, a 33˚ Mason, was active in the Masonic Lodge, Royal Arch Mason, Knights Templar, Scottish Rite, Hella Shrine and Royal Order of Jesters. He was also a member of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, the Dallas Gun Club, the Idlewild Club, and was a fellow in the Dallas Historical Society. Charles Turner died in Dallas, Texas and was interred at the Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas."Charles E. Turner, former Mayor and Civic Leader, Dies." ''The Dallas Morning News''. March 6, 1936, I-13, II-6.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Charles E. 1886 births 1936 deaths Mayors of Dallas 20th-century American politicians Baptists from Texas American Freemasons 20th-century Baptists