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Family Dynasties: The Turner Family

Dollar General founders pour into higher education, music

  • 2 min to read
Cal Turner

Cal Turner, namesake of Turner Theater, cuts the ribbon to officially open Studio Tenn's permanent home. 

The Turner family has had tremendous impact — not only in Music City, but throughout rural America. With the establishment of Dollar General, Cal Turner Sr. both forged a legacy of business acumen and influenced Nashville’s philanthropic landscape. Over the years, the next generations of Turners have followed suit.

Cal Turner Sr., born in 1915 in Macon County, Tennessee, co-founded wholesale business J.L. Turner and Son with his father in 1939. In 1955, they launched the first Dollar General store in Springfield, Ky. Basing the business model on the “dollar days” sales he had seen advertised, Turner introduced a retail model in which all items were priced at $1. This concept revolutionized the retail industry, making a wide range of products accessible to many, while also creating jobs in rural communities.

Turner Theater

Turner Theater 

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