For Immediate Release
May 20, 2005
NOTE: Allen M. Turner is available for interviews. Headshot available.
Chicago, IL - Columbia College Chicago's Board of Trustees has elected Allen M. Turner, as its chairman. Turner will assume his duties immediately, succeeding William Hood, managing director of corporate affairs for American Airlines, who has served as chairman of the college's board since 2001.
Turner, who is a partner in Pritzker and Pritzker, has a long history of engagement in Chicago's arts community as a philanthropist, an administrator and a creator and performer.
Fans of the Chicago Humanities Festival might remember Turner's star turn in 2003 when he performed his one-man show, "How I Learned to Play the Piano." He's also composed works for the Chicago Children's Choir and created the words, music and vocals for the documentary film "Waiting for the New York Times."
Turner spearheaded the fundraising efforts - and oversaw construction of the current building - for the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, when he served as Chairman of the Board from 1991-1996. He also serves as chair of the Visiting Committee on Visual Arts at the University of Chicago and is a member of the committee on Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. He is founding trustee of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, a trustee for the Newberry Library and for the Market Theater Foundation in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Turner is a long-time supporter of Chicago theater. He served as Victory Garden Theater's first board chair from 1974-77. He was Chairman of the Board for Goodman Theatre from 1982-85 and founding chairman of the National Jewish Theater. He has lectured on American theater at Cambridge University and Yale and on arts management at the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Poetry is another love of Turner's, so much so that his Illinois license plates read "Poetry." He serves on the advisory board of the Poetry Center of Chicago and founded The Poetry Board of Three Oaks, Michigan, where he maintains a residence. Turner serves as Chairman of the Board for the Three Oaks cultural institution, which awards an annual Poet Laureate prize.
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ALLEN TURNER ELECTED COLUMBIA BOARD CHAIR/ADD ONE
Turner's thoughts on arts philanthropy are non-traditional. "The days of the Eurocentric model - people in high places who support the arts for the benefit of the masses are over," he says. He maintains that those who are beneficiaries and participants in the arts must be involved and have a say in how the arts institutions are run and how they interact with the public. He cites Chicago's Mexican Fine Arts Museum and DuSable Museum as good examples of arts organizations that seek input from their respective communities.
"Allen's inclusive approach to arts and culture is a perfect match with Columbia College Chicago's mission of access and opportunity in higher education," says college President Warrick L. Carter, Ph.D. "I'm looking forward to working with him as he helps guide us as we grow the institution and prepare our students to become the cultural leaders of their generation."
"Columbia's commitment to diversity and the school's unwavering belief in the fact that multiple perspectives will enrich the arts and therefore benefit society is why I have chosen to put my energy into helping the college grow its vision," says Turner.
Turner, who received his J.D. from the University of Chicago and a B.B.A. from the university of Wisconsin-Madison, has an equally distinguished career in business. He is a partner in the family investment firm of Pritkzer and Pritzker and has chaired the executive committee of the Hyatt International Corporation. He is Chairman of the Board at Chicago Mill & Lumber Company and served as Chairman of the Board of McCall's Magazine from 1974-86.
In addition to having been appointed a Chevalier de l'Order des Arts et des Lettres from the Republic of France, Turner has been honored as Knight Commander, the Sovereign Military and Hospitaler Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Official Seat The Hague, Kingdom of The Netherlands. He is an Honorary Member of Kings College, Cambridge University, England.