Alvin O. Turner is a native Oklahoman who completed his PhD at Oklahoma State University in 1977. His professional career included stints with the Oklahoma Museums Association and the Oklahoma Historical Society as well as teaching at Western Oklahoma State College, Redlands Community College, Northwestern Oklahoma State and East Central University. He retired as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at East Central University.

Turner is the author or coauthor of seven books, ten chapters in different books and more than forty articles and encyclopedia entries on varied Oklahoma and national topics, served as contributing editor for four different versions of The Rainbow Study Bible, and published fiction, poetry and book reviews in numerous journals, chap books and anthologies.

He is probably best known as a speaker particularly in conjunction with the programs of the Oklahoma Humanities Council.

PUBLISHED WORKS:

(Sourced from the Oklahoma Authors Page on http://digitalprairie.ok.gov)

Guide to the Historic Records in the Edna May Armold Archives and other Canadian County repositories. El Reno, OK: El Reno Junior College Foundation, 1986.

Index to the Historic Records in the Edna May Armold Archives and other Canadian County repositories. El Reno, OK: El Reno Junior College Foundation, 1986.

with Bob L. Blackburn. The First Family: A Centennial History of the First Baptist Church. Oklahoma City, OK: SafeSport Pub., 1990.

with Richard Johnson. Oklahoma at the Crossroads. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1998.

ed. Letters from the Dust Bowl by Caroline Henderson. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2001.

Waiting for the Rain. Ada, OK: Booklahoma, 2002.

with Louise Welch. "The History of the Buildings at the Southern Plains Research Station." Woodward, OK: Southern Plains Research Station, 2005.

The ECU Story, 1980-2005. Ada, OK: East Central University Foundation, 2006.

Re-membered Journeys. Cheyenne, OK: Village Books Press, 2007.

L. W. Marks: A Baptist Progressive in Missouri and Oklahoma, 1862-1943. Norman, OK: Mongrel Empire Press, 2009.

Hanging Men. Norman, OK: Twin Territories, 2011. DISSERTATION

"The regulation of the Oklahoma oil industry." PhD diss., Oklahoma State University, 1977.

PERIODICALS

"Cherokee Nation-United States Financial Relations." The Journal of the West, July 1973.

"Humphrey, Oklahoma: The Decline of a Prairie Community." Prairie Lore, July 1975.

"Research Opportunities in Oklahoma." Oklahoma Librarian, Spring 1978.

"Regional Reflections in Oklahoma Folk Art." Journal of Regional Cultures, Spring 1981.

"Vanity, Vanity Thy Name is History." Chronicles of Oklahoma 63, no. 2 (Summer 1985): 148-165.

"Baptistery Painting in Oklahoma Baptist Churches." Oklahoma Baptist Chronicle, Autumn 1985.

"Black History in Oklahoma Schools." Muskogee Phoenix, 9 February 1986.

"An 1857 Journey to Colorado. Part One." War Chief of the Indian Territory Posse of Oklahoma Westerners, June 1986.

"An 1857 Journey to Colorado. Part Two." War Chief of the Indian Territory Posse of Oklahoma Westerners, September 1986.

"Out of the Past." Oklahoma Baptist Chronicle, Autumn 1988.

"Collecting Folk Art in Oklahoma Museums." Muse News, January 1992.

"Journey to Sainthood: David Pendleton Oakerhater's Better Way." Chronicles of Oklahoma 70, no. 2 (Summer 1992): 116-143.

"The Feast of David Pendleton Oakerhater." Westview 12, no. 4 (Summer 1993): 20-22.

"Order and Disorder: The Opening of the Cherokee Outlet." Chronicles of Oklahoma 71, no. 2 (Summer 1993): 154-173.

"The Meaning of the Cherokee Strip Land Run." Alva Review Chronicle. Special Centennial Edition, September 1993.

With Vicky L. Gailey. "Enid's Golden Era." Chronicles of Oklahoma 76, no. 2 (Summer 1998): 116-139.

"A Tale of Two Cities: Guthrie and Muskogee." Gilcrease Magazine, Summer 2002.

"No More Than Any Citizen Should Do, Theresa Galloway Holman's Memoir of Early Statehood." Chronicles of Oklahoma 85, no. 3 (Fall 2007).

CONTRIBUTOR

"Cherokee Nation-United States Financial Relations, 1830-1870." In The Civil War Era in Indian Territory, edited by Leroy Fischer. Los Angeles: L.L. Morrison, 1974.

"Forward." In Guide to Oklahoma Museums, by David C. Hunt. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1981.

"Historical Setting and Scene for the Folk Arts." In Folk Art in Oklahoma: an exhibition presented by the Oklahoma Museums Association: the Oklahoma Art Center's Arts Annex, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, May 3-June 19, 1981. Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Museums Association, 1981.

"Isaac Backus", "Baptists", "William Jennings Bryan"" James Earl Carter", "Robert S. Kerr", "John Muir", "Southern Baptist Convention", "Samuel Worcester". In The Encyclopedia of Religion in American Politics, edited by Jeffrey D. Schultz, John G. West, Jr. and Iain MacLean. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1999.

Excerpt from "Journey to Sainthood: David Pendleton Oakerhater's Better Way." In Celebrating the Saints: Devotional Readings for Saints' Days, by Christopher L. Webber and Robert Atwell. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 2001.

"Introduction" to Oklahoma Centennial Suite for Band, by W. T. Garcia. Ada, OK: East Central University and the Ada Arts Council, 2006.

"Academies and Schools." In Historical Atlas of Oklahoma, by Charles Robert Goins and Danney Goble, 84-85. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.

"Missions and Missionaries." In Historical Atlas of Oklahoma, by Charles Robert Goins and Danney Goble, 82-83. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.

"Religious Traditions and Influences." In Historical Atlas of Oklahoma, by Charles Robert Goins and Danney Goble, 224-225. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2006.

"Oklahoma Poverty Religion and Politics: Lessons from Economic History". In Alternative Oklahoma: Contrarian Views of the Sooner State, by Davis Joyce. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007.

"Native American Art in Oklahoma: An Interpretation". In Main Street Oklahoma: An American Story by Linda Reese and Patricia Loughlin. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011.

EDITOR

ed., "Voluntarism- The How To ..." OMA Bulletin, No. 11. Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma Museums Association, 1980.Contributing ed., The Rainbow Study Bible, Rainbow Studies Institute, 1986.

Contributing ed., The Living Rainbow Study Bible. Rainbow Studies Institute, 1988.

Contributing ed., The NIV Rainbow Study Bible, Rainbow Studies Institute, 1992.

Contributing ed., The Catholic Millennium Rainbow Study Bible. Rainbow Studies Institute, 2000.

ed., East Central University, 1969-1989: the Wagner years, by Davis Joyce and Palmer Boeger. Ada, OK: East Central University, 2001. ed., ECU Research Journal, Ada, OK: East Central University, 2001-2006.

OTHER WORKS, Including brochures, catalogs and exhibit scripts.

"Will Rogers Centennial." Oklahoma Museums Association, 1978. Exhibit research.

"Folk Art in Oklahoma." Oklahoma Art Center, 1980. Exhibit research.

"From Here to There." Oklahoma Historical Society, 1980. Exhibit.

Planning document for creation of Anadarko Basin Oil Museum, 1981.

Catalog and Index to the Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma City, OK, "Oklahoma Folklore Collection." 1981.

"Old Greer County- the Forgotten Land." Museum of the Western Prairie, Oklahoma Historical Society, Altus, Oklahoma, 1982. Slide tape script.

with Daniel Swan. "Ageless We Dance." Oklahoma Historical Society, 1983. Exhibit.

with Loweta Chesser. "Fashion: the Reflected Image of History." Museum of the Western Prairie, Oklahoma Historical Society, Altus, Oklahoma, 1985.

"The Movies as Mirrors of Fashion." Museum of the Western Prairie, Oklahoma Historical Society, Altus, Oklahoma, 1985.

"Northwest Passages." Pioneer and Indian Museum, Woodward, Oklahoma, 1987. Woodward Centennial Exhibit.

"Economic History of Southwestern Oklahoma. " Museum of the Western Prairie, Oklahoma Historical Society, Altus, Oklahoma, 1993. Exhibit.

"Probing the Soul of Oklahoma." Oklahoma City, OK: Let's Talk about It Oklahoma. Oklahoma Humanities Council, 1995.

Reviews in Great Plains Journal, The Journal of the West, Fides et Historia, Oklahoma and the Chronicles of Oklahoma, 1972-.

Short stories and poems in Cross Timbers, Best Minds, Westview and other regional journals, 1983-.

Chapbook: "Waiting for the Rain". Booklahoma, August, 2002.

Chapbook: "Re-membering Journeys". Cheyenne, OK: Village Books Press, 2007.

Readings at numerous locations including the Benedict Street Market, Scissortail Literary festival, Red Dirt Literary festival, the Woody Guthrie festival and others, 2003-.

Awards

Arrell Gibson Award, the Oklahoma Center for the Book, 2014

Oklahoma Humanities Award. 2012

Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, 2011

Annual Award for Outstanding contributions to the Arts in Ada, 2011

Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma book selection, 2005

Oklahoma Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction, 2002

Finalist: Oklahoma Center for the Book, Letters From the Dust Bowl as Oklahoma non-fiction book of the year, 2001;

the book was also one of three non fiction works to compete in the

Oklahoma Library Association’s annual “Oklahoma Reads Oklahoma” emphasis.

Distinguished Alumnus,

University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK, 1993

McCasland Oklahoma College History Teacher Award,

Oklahoma Heritage Association, 1992

Speaker for Oklahoma Foundation for the Humanities Territory Speakers, 1992-present:

topics are: "Their Story: Oklahoma's Past By Those Who Lived It" and "Plains Indians In Transition."

El Reno Junior College Foundation Faculty Incentive Award

to support research on David Pendleton Oakerhater (Making Medicine), 1988

Oklahoma Foundation for the Humanities Research Grant, 1988

Directed project and edited publications which received

American Association for State and Local History, Commendation of Merit, 1987

Consultant to and wrote brochure for Woodward Centennial exhibit which received

American Association for State and Local History, Commendation of Merit, 1987

El Reno Junior College "Teacher of the Year" award, 1986