Professor of Philosophy Donald Turner was honored by Hillsdale College faculty March 3 after he resigned due to the development of cancer.
Collegian Archives | Courtesy
College faculty gathered March 3 to honor Donald Turner, professor of philosophy, for his 18 years of teaching and service.
Turner officially retired at the end of February due to cancer, Assistant to the Provost Mark Maier said. Faculty honored Turner with professor emeritus status.
After Turner’s resignation, Director of Sociology and Social Thought Peter Blum drafted a resolution to honor Turner on behalf of the philosophy department and the college faculty.
“Don has distinguished himself among us for his unflagging dedication to teaching and mentoring students, for his exemplary collegiality and service to the institution, and for his passion in support of liberal arts education,” the resolution said. “May we commit our thoughts and our prayers to Don as he continues to work at regaining health, and may knowledge of our love and friendship go with him always.”
Turner said the resolution meant more to him than his words could say.
“The college has been my home and the source of so many great friendships for these 18 years. It makes me sad to be unable to continue teaching,” Turner said in an email.
He said he loves teaching and planned to continue doing it for at least 15 more years.
“Talking with people is my single favorite thing to do, and my favorite part of teaching has always been leading class discussions,” Turner said. “I also loved talking with students outside of class, whether it was about philosophy, science fiction and fantasy, film, plays, their lives, or anything else that they wanted to talk about.”
Turner said he will miss regular conversation with his colleagues.
“To have my colleagues honor my efforts in this way means SO much to me,” he said.
Turner said he loved Hillsdale, his students, and his colleagues, and they said they loved him.
Blum said he and Turner became close friends not long after Turner arrived to Hillsdale.
“He is amazingly open-minded,” Blum said. “He is a person of strong conviction but a person of very little judgement.”
He added that Turner had a strong faith and attended Hillsdale Free Methodis while he was in Hillsdale.
“What was most inspiring to those of us in philosophy was how dedicated he was to the students,” Blum said. “He was a teacher who was also a friend.”
Philosophy major Michael Pope ’15 said Turner was a wonderful teacher and friend.
“His contagious laughter and encyclopedic knowledge and charm inspire his students,” Pope said. “In my capacity with the honorary, I saw first hand Dr. Turner’s care for his students and patience with others.”
He added that Turner struck the proper balance between respect as professor and approachable kindness as mentor. He said whenever he encountered Turner on campus, even when Turner’s day could have been going better, Turner never failed to offer a kind word.
“On the whole, my conversations and courses with Dr. Turner remain many of the reasons I’m thankful for my time at Hillsdale,” Pope said.
Blum said Turner modeled genuine care for students as students and as whole people — for their hearts and souls, as well.
Blum added that Turner was well-known around campus, and he didn’t know of anyone whose experience with him was negative.
Maier echoed that sentiment.
“I don’t think I have ever heard anybody criticize him,” Maier said. “He was a team player, who got along with everyone. It’d be shocking to find someone who didn’t know him.”
Director of Philosophy and Religion Thomas Burke said Turner had interests beyond philosophy. Each year, Turner, who is a bass, sang in the Christmas Contatta at Burke’s church in Hudson, Michigan. It required Turner to drive down every Sunday evening for the hour-and-a-half practice.
“He kept everybody in tune,” Burke said.
Turner had friends all over campus — from the biology department to Mossey Library.
“There was no one on campus who supported library programming as Dr. Turner did,” Public Service Librarian Linda Moore said in an email. “We seldom had a lecture, book talk, or any other function in the library without Dr. Turner attending. He has a favorite chair he sat in.”
She added that their conversations ranged from contemporary culture to classic television shows and plenty of book talks. She recalled that he explained to her the logic of the ending of the TV show “Lost,” which she said she still didn’t understand, but she said he made a very reasonable argument.
“We had hoped to have Dr. Turner with us for a good many more years, but as this was not to be, granting him emeritus status was a small way for the faculty to acknowledge what an important part of campus is missing with his absence,” Moore said.
Angie Pytel, visiting lecturer of biology, said the faculty loved Turner.
“He is so very respected. He had some of the best qualities a professor could have,” Pytel said in an email. “His kindness and selflessness was unparalleled.”
She said he was a precious gem of knowledge, understanding, and deep feelings. She said he would play on her paranoia that she only existed in Turner’s mind by pretending she didn’t exist in the middle of conversation.
“If he was at any kind of social gathering I would beeline for him,” Pytel said. “He is one of my very favorite people to talk with about the deep things.”
Blum added that Turner went to as many campus events as he could, particularly music and theater productions.
But more than a good friend and teacher, Turner had a wealth of knowledge about popular culture, which Blum said he especially appreciated.
“He can remember an episode of ‘The Simpsons’ for almost any situation he is in,” Blum said.
Burke said Turner was a fount of information when it came to science fiction and fantasy. He said Turner knew movies, directors, and actors, as well.
“He shared a love of ‘Far Side’ and ‘Calvin and Hobbes’ cartoons with me,” Professor of Religion Don Westblade said in an email. “And he could always be counted on to have a deep thought from Jack Handey at the ready for any occasion.”
But ultimately, Burke said he thinks Turner would want to be remembered for his strong Christian faith.
“I think he would want to be known as a professor who not only professed his Christian faith but lived it in the classroom, socially, and in the community,” Burke said, adding that is just what Turner did.
“I miss his voice next door to my office,” Westblade said. “Hillsdale is palpably poorer that his illness is preventing him from returning to his beloved post.”