Dr. Ian Bruce Turner was born on July 4, 1946 in Monmouth, IL. His parents were Lynn Warren and Vera Kathryn Arbogast Turner. He obtained a B.A. in history with a minor in music from Otterbein College where his father was president and presented his diploma. He continued his education and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Illinois. From 1971-72, he served as the president of Phi Alpha Theta, the National History Honor Society. He also received a Master’s of Library Science at the University of Kentucky, where he received the Colonial Dames Fellowship from 1976-77 and became a member of Beta Phi Mu, National Library Science Honor Society. He was married to Sue Ann Steck Turner and they had three daughters: Kristin, Jessica, and Kathryn.

In 1977, he began working as the Head of Special Collections and Assistant Librarian at the State University of New York at Oswego. In 1983, he accepted a position at the Edith Garland Dupré Library at University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) as Associate Professor of Library Sciences and Head of Archives and Special Collections. During his 33 years at UL Lafayette, he rose to the rank of Professor, became the Assistant Dean of Special Collections Services, published over 26 articles in six different journals, curated 30 exhibits, wrote multiple grants, and participated in numerous committees. From 1998-2001, he was the recipient of the Friends of the Edith Garland Dupré Library Board of Regents Support Fund Professorship. He was an active member of the Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association (LAMA) and the Society of Southwest Archivists (SSA), serving over the years as president, present-elect, vice president, and boar and committee member for both organizations. With the Louisiana Historical Association, he was a member of the archives and membership committees. During his career, he traveled to many conferences throughout the U.S. to gain and share knowledge of history and the archives.

While his love for history was a predominant part of his life, he also had an eclectic mix of other interests: the arts, reading, traveling, and most recently, Facebook. He sang bass with Chorale Acadienne since 1997, sang tenor and bass with the Acadiana Syphone Chorus, and was a faithful member of the church choir, sometimes being featured as a cantor and soloist. He played cello with the Acadiana Symphone from 1984-1997, and continued to play with the UL Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and the Lafayette Community Strings for many years. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he was an ordained elder. He served on numerous committees including the session (the governing body of the church), taught Sunday school classes, and was considered a cherished leader. Being a UL Lafayette faculty member and a man of strong faith, he strove to share these attributes with the students there through the Wesley Campus Ministry. He served as president of this organization and frequently volunteered his time and wisdom. He also volunteered weekly for the Meals on Wheels program delivering meals.