Hurley Calister "Cal" Turner (May 28, 1915 – November 20, 2000) was an American businessman. He was the co-founder of

Dollar General Dollar General Corporation is an American chain of discount stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 8, 2024, Dollar General operated 19,643 stores in the contiguous United States and Mexico. The company began in 1939 in ...

alongside his father.

Early life

Cal Turner was born on May 28, 1915, in

Macon County, Tennessee Macon County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,216. Its county seat is Lafayette, Tennessee, Lafayette. Macon County is part of the ...

. His father, James Luther Turner, was a traveling salesman who, during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, found success selling-off store inventories before the stores had to close down.

Business career

Turner co-founded J. L. Turner & Son Wholesale with his father, J.L. Turner, in

Scottsville, Kentucky Scottsville is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Allen County, Kentucky, Allen County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the county seat, seat of its county. The population was 4,299 during the 2020 United States census. His ...

, in 1939. It later became known as

, a chain of

dollar stores A variety store (also five and dime (historic), pound shop, or dollar store) is a retail store that sells general merchandise, such as apparel, auto parts, dry goods, toys, hardware, furniture, and a selection of groceries. It usually sells th ...

. He listed it on the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is the List of stock exchanges, largest stock excha ...

in 1968. He retired in 1989. By the time of his death, it had "4,800 discount stores in 25 states."

Philanthropy

Turner endowed the Turner Family Scholarships for Dollar General employees in 1999.

Personal life

Turner married Laura Katherine Goad. They had four children: Laura Dugas, Cal Turner Jr., Betty Campbell, and Steve Turner. His wife predeceased him in 1988.

Death

Turner died on November 20, 2000, in

References

1915 births 2000 deaths People from Macon County, Tennessee People from Scottsville, Kentucky Businesspeople from Tennessee Philanthropists from Tennessee American company founders Turner family 20th-century American philanthropists Dollar General 20th-century American businesspeople American businesspeople in retailing {{US-business-bio-1910s-stub