Wow! We lose another as professor emeritus Tom Turner passed away two weeks ago. One of the founders of the UNCC Accounting Department, serving as its first chair from 1971 through his retirement in 1991.
In addition, he also served as chair of the Faculty Athletic Committee, representing UNCC at NCAA meetings for 20 years as well as being elected the first president of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976.
Those who knew Tom were well aware that even though he was a UNC-CH grad, his blood ran 49er green!
He was my academic advisor. Great guy and built the foundation for the best accounting program in the state. He was also likely the faculty member that was most passionate about athletics.
Would agree with that. As a guiding force in the creation of and UNCC’s inclusion in the Sun Belt Conference in 1976, he was instrumental in giving the nascent conference a viable credibility in hiring former Duke men’s basketball coach Vic Bubas as its first commissioner.