Possessing grace, confidence and a lavish sense of style are typical characteristics of a first lady. She sets a precedent for her community through passionate work with nonprofit organizations and is dedicated to serving them in a distinguished manner.
Sporting a navy blue and white silk twill dress and cream colored blazer, Gail Turner’s poise and elegance was a brightening presence at the SMU Moms and Dads Club’s annual Mother’s Tea on Saturday, March 8. Club members gathered in the Meadows School of the Arts for brunch and an interview panel with Turner.
“Gail Turner has this subtle confidence about her, displayed through her humility while being a successful philanthropist,” Mother’s Tea Chair Dupe Omoworare said. “The power in her femininity was a theme we wanted to convey in this year’s tea.”
Omoworare served as Mother’s Tea chair for the third time, yet this year was particularly memorable due to the bright atmosphere in the Meadows atrium complementing Gail Turner’s impact as SMU’s leading lady.
Gail Turner co-founded New Friends New Life (NFNL), a non-profit organization that provides restorative services, education and support for survivors of trafficking. She also actively serves on multiple boards including the executive boards for the Meadows School of the Arts and the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development. She also sits on the boards of Shelter Ministries of Dallas, Austin Street Center and Genesis Women’s Shelter & support.
In 2018, Gail Turner received the Maura Women Helping Women Award for her advocacy for women’s issues.
Though contrasting Turner’s outfit with an orange brunch dress, The Daily Campus Editor-in-Chief Katie Bergelin matched Turner’s soft-spoken confidence while hosting the interview panel. Bergelin’s questions welcomed attendees into Turner’s world, learning about her experiences and reflections as First Lady.
“At the Mother’s Tea, it is of the utmost importance to highlight esteemed SMU students,” Omoworare said “In the three years I have been chair of the Mother’s Tea, the harp player has been a current Meadows student, and the panel interviewer the current editor-in-chief of The Daily Campus.”
Omoworare shed light on SMU’s journalism program that teaches students the necessary skills to interview esteemed members of the community. Both Omoworare and Turner’s daughters are a part of the SMU community, making it a special feat for parents to see what their children and classmates have accomplished while in college.
Gerald and Gail Turner started their time as President and First Lady at the University of Mississippi (“Ole Miss”). President Turner began his role as Chancellor of Ole Miss in 1984.
“I think my time at Ole Miss helped me train, in a lot of ways, my expectations,” Gail Turner said. “At SMU, I was really able to step in and enjoy my role.”
Gail Turner acknowledged that it is equally common now for there to be first gentleman of a university. She finds it important to uphold her role here at SMU and set an example for future leaders to come.
“Spouses generally have other jobs, but I view what I do as being available,” she said. “I host, I attend a lot of events and I hope that whatever I bring to that is helpful to the university.”
Turner’s presence has proven to be helpful to the SMU community, especially when she attends her favorite special traditions. She laughed while recalling her daughter’s move-in day, dealing with McElvaney Commons’ single elevator.
Gail Turner shared her love of the Convocation ceremony as students enter university-level education. A true storyteller at heart, she explained how the song “SMU Forever” came to be.
“There was a young woman here, a student, and her father was a well-known songwriter, musician and producer,” Turner said. “He wrote the song after watching her in the Convocation ceremony.”
The proud father is award-winning music producer Jimmy Dunne, known for his song “Nobody Loves Me Like You Do,” which was originally recorded for the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns.” Artists like Whitney Houston, Jermaine Jackson, Anne Murray and Dave Loggins recorded iterations of the song.
As an SMU parent and former member of the Moms and Dads Club, Gail Turner can relate to parents on a personal level. Moms and Dads Club Co-President Jeanne Slay said she felt a special bond to her because both are long-time members of the SMU community.
“She’s the first lady of SMU and the first mom,” Slay said. “Seeing that she’s a lifetime member of the Moms and Dads Club, it makes my heart very happy.She knows how special SMU traditions are, and we bonded over our love of Mustang bread.”
Gail Turner appreciates the unique, special traditions of SMU because they provide meaningful connections to the community according to members of the Moms and Dads Club. As Texas natives, the Turners described their love of the unique culture in Dallas. With endless places to shop and a lively community, the Turners’ roots in Dallas influenced their mission to make SMU the college of Dallas, Gail Turner said.
“We are Texans, growing up in towns about a two-hour drive on either side of Dallas,” she said. “We loved Dallas. I always thought it was so sparkly and just a wonderful city. It has such a can-do attitude.”
Although much has changed during Turner’s time with SMU, Gail Turner said she and President Turner approach their roles with the same passion as when they started.
“People that know Gerald know that he has a whole lot of energy,” Turner said. “He’s got more energy than any one person I’ve ever known.”
Gail Turner’s lighthearted humor filled the Mother’s Tea as Bergelin guided her through her 30 years at SMU.
“The Meadows light radiated throughout the tea, making everything so delightful,” Slay said. “Gail Turner was truly a delightful and uplifting presence, we are honored to have welcomed her back to the Moms and Dads Club.”
As a mother, SMU parent and distinguished leader, Turner’s philanthropic legacy and dedication to supporting the SMU community has influenced the lives of many.
“You fall in love with the school that you’re in, the university. You just do,” Gail Turner said.
