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Ex-SMU president Gerald Turner on what bothers him about Dallas — and colleges today

Five questions with the longtime head of Southern Methodist University, who never did get used to the summer heat.

Gerald Turner has just ended a very good run. When Turner became president of Southern Methodist University in 1995, the Dallas university was still reeling from an ’80s football scandal. Over the next three decades, that changed. Not only did the SMU Mustangs come back — joining the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and becoming top contenders — but the university also expanded its impact. The George W. Bush Presidential Center opened in 2013, and under Turner’s leadership, SMU achieved Research 1 status from the American Council on Education, the highest a college can get.

Born in New Boston, Texas (near the Arkansas and Oklahoma border), Turner has spent a long career in the academy, including a role as chancellor at the University of Mississippi. Now 79, he and his wife, Gail Oliver Turner, have two daughters and five grandchildren. He’ll stay on at SMU to assist in fundraising, student recruitment and retention — and, I assume, to catch a few football games.

SMU President Gerald Turner holds the Iron Skillet trophy as the Mustangs celebrate after a...
SMU President Gerald Turner holds the Iron Skillet trophy as the Mustangs celebrate after a 66-42 victory over TCU in an NCAA football game at Ford Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Dallas.(Smiley N. Pool / Staff Photographer)

How do you describe Dallas to people who have never been here?

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A dynamic, “can-do” city that’s very livable.

What bothers you about Dallas?

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The July and August heat, difficulties in sustaining a dynamic downtown core and whether Dallas can support as many efforts to attract new and relocating companies as our suburbs do.

You began your tenure at SMU in 1995, the year of the O.J. Simpson trial, the Macarena dance craze and the Windows 95 launch. A few things have changed. What’s been the biggest shift?

The rise of social media. While it opened up new ways to connect, learn and express oneself, it also created unprecedented challenges. The spread of harmful content, the influence of extremist voices. Moving forward, the key is to help young people build the digital literacy and resilience to navigate these spaces.

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SMU incoming president Jay Hartzell, right, laughs with then-president Gerald Turner during...
SMU incoming president Jay Hartzell, right, laughs with then-president Gerald Turner during a news conference in Dallas, Thursday, March 27, 2025.(LM Otero / AP)

Colleges have seen a series of high-profile resignations in the past few years. Are you worried about the future of the academy?

It’s a challenging time for higher education, and the pressures are real. Political polarization makes it harder for faculty to freely explore and express ideas, and shifts in federal support for research could delay the social impact and innovations that come from university discovery. At the same time, we’re seeing a strong push toward job-focused education, which is important but can overshadow the broader perspective a liberal arts foundation provides.

All of us in higher ed need to do a better job of communicating the lasting value of what we offer — not just for careers but for citizenship, leadership and lifelong learning.

What’s the place on campus you’ll miss the most?

I don’t intend to miss any of them! I’ll still have an office as President-emeritus.

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