Glenn P. Turner was a lawyer

Lawyer

A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...

 from Milwaukee who served one term as a Socialist

Socialist Party of America

The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...

 member of the Wisconsin State Assembly

Wisconsin State Assembly

The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin....

.

Background

Turner was born on May 4, 1889, in Stockbridge, Wisconsin

Stockbridge, Wisconsin

Stockbridge is a village in Calumet County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 649 in the 2000 census. The village lies within the Town of Stockbridge.-History:...

. He attended the public schools of the various places where his father served as a Methodist

Methodism

Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...

 minister. He became interested in socialism

Socialism

Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...

 as a boy, through the influence of his
Sunday school

Sunday school

Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...

 teacher, a German iron moulder, who started him reading Socialist literature. He joined the Socialist Party as soon as he was permitted to join (the age of 18). He graduated in 1909 from North Division High School (Milwaukee)

North Division High School (Milwaukee)

North Division High School was one of the major public high schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of the Milwaukee Public Schools...

, and attended the University of Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School

University of Wisconsin Law School

The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional school for the study of law at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. The law school was founded in 1868.-Facilities:...

, and was admitted to the Wisconsin bar in 1916. He then returned to Milwaukee to practice.

Legislature

Turner was elected to the Assembly in 1916 to succeed fellow Socialist Frank J. Weber

Frank J. Weber

Frank J. Weber was a seaman, carpenter and union organizer from Milwaukee who between 1907 and 1926 served five terms as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.- Background :...

, receiving 3,054 votes against 2,067 for S. A. Heiden (Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

) and 1038 for A. E. Wanda (Democrat

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

). He was assigned to the standing committee

Standing Committee

In the United States Congress, standing committees are permanent legislative panels established by the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate rules. . Because they have legislative jurisdiction, standing committees consider bills and issues and recommend measures for...

 on the judiciary

Judiciary

The judiciary is the system of courts that interprets and applies the law in the name of the state. The judiciary also provides a mechanism for the resolution of disputes...

.

He did not run for re-election in 1918, but was succeeded by fellow Socialist and lawyer Edwin Knappe

Edwin Knappe

Edwin W. Knappe was an American machinist from Milwaukee who became a lawyer, and who served one term as a Socialist member of the Wisconsin State Assembly.- Background :...

, who like Turner was a member of the law firm of Kleist, Harriman &
Knappe.

Attorney General

In 1930, Turner was the Socialist candidate for state Attorney General; he came in third in a five-way race, with 6.4% of the vote (35,169 out of 551,563).