Debbye Turner Scholarship

The scholarship you are receiving was established in 1989 by the ASU Alumni Association in honor of Debbye Lynn Turner, Miss America 1990. Dr. Turner attended Arkansas State University from 1983 to 1986, working on her pre-professional degree in veterinary medicine. She competed in the Miss Arkansas Pageant three times, first as Miss ASU in 1985, then as Miss White River in 1987 and Miss Northeast Arkansas in 1988. She won first runner-up in those last two state pageants.
She completed her degree at the University of Missouri’s School of Veterinary Medicine at Columbia; while there she was named Miss Missouri and went on to successfully compete in the Miss America program. After receiving her professional degree at Missouri, Dr. Turner was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture, with a major in Animal Science from Arkansas State.
Dr. Turner’s parents were also ASU alums. Her father, Lt. Col. Frederick Turner, was one of the first African American graduates at Arkansas State, receiving both his Bachelors and Master’s degrees here. Later he became the first African American instructor at ASU, teaching in the ROTC program. The Strong-Turner Alumni Chapter is named after Lt. Col. Turner.
Her mother, the late Gussie Turner, also received bachelors and masters degrees at the university, and at the time of her death, was employed in the Counseling Center.
The scholarship was established to aid an outstanding student, like yourself, who is the son or daughter of an ASU alumnus, demonstrates academic achievement, involvement in school and community, national pride and civic-mindedness.