Date: ca. 1978
 

Biography:
William H. Turcotte

William Henry Turcotte was born in Magee, Simpson County, Mississippi, on January 24, 1917, to Henry Eugene Turcotte (b. 1878) and Caroline "Carrie" Wynn (b. ca. 1883). William H. Turcotte was the fifth of Henry and Carrie’s six children including: Robert E, Maria, Virgie, Sarah R., and Ruby Turcotte. Turcotte enlisted in the Mississippi National Guard in 1934. He was assigned to Company C, 155th Infantry Regiment, 31st Division. Turcotte attended Mississippi College, Clinton, Mississippi, where he graduated in 1939. After graduation, Turcotte was employed as a museum taxidermist with the Mississippi Wildlife Museum. William Turcotte married Annie Cook Tribble (b. February 6, 1918 – d. August 18, 1979) on February 17, 1940. The couple had four children including: William Scott, John Winfield, James Freeman, and Terry Marieanne Turcotte. Throughout 1940, Turcotte assisted Fannye A. Cook and R.M. Freeman on statewide surveys relating to both beavers and wild turkeys. However, Turcotte’s career as a wildlife conservator was interrupted once the United States joined World War II after declaring war against the Axis Powers when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941.

During World War II, Turcotte applied and was accepted into the United States Army Air Corps. Turcotte’s physical and mental aptitude scores resulted in him being classified as an aerial navigator. The three phases of his training lasted from May, 1942 to July, 1943. After the completion of his training, Turcotte was assigned to the 322nd Squadron, 91st Bomb Groups. Turcotte and his crew participated in more than ten bombing raids. On October 9, 1943, while serving as a decoy on a bombing mission deep into German held territory targeting port facilities at Gdynia, Poland and aircraft assembly plants at Anklam and Marienburg, their B-17 was shot down. Turcotte and his comrades were eventually captured and moved to Stalag Luft III at Sagan, East Germany. Turcotte was held as a prisoner of war until officially liberated on April 29, 1945.

After World War II, Turcotte returned to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, where he served as a field biologist and administrator until retiring in 1979 after forty years of service. After Annie Turcotte’s death in 1979, William Turcotte married Dorothy Lucille Diffenderfer Brown (b. January 31, 1920 – d. January 5, 2006) in April, 1980. In 1999, Turcotte co-authored Birds of Mississippi. This publication provides a detailed account of over 380 bird species and offers a comprehensive overview of the history of ornithology in Mississippi, wildlife management, and its major proponents such as Fannye Cook. Birds of Mississippi also documents Mississippi’s diverse habitats and the best locations for observing birds.

William Turcotte died on November 5, 2000 and was buried at Clinton Cemetery.

 

Scope and Content Note:

The Turcotte (William H.) Manuscript consists of a ten page report entitled, “Significant Areas for Bird Life and Bird Study of the Gulf Coast Region of Mississippi.” This ornithological account of the Mississippi Gulf Coast was prompted by proposals for the establishment of the William Bartram Trail. Turcotte’s report describes the natural and cultural features that William Bartram, a noted English naturalist and journalist, would have encountered had he pursued a land route during his exploration of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 1775. In his report, Turcotte notes that an astute observer, such as Bartram, would have been impressed with birdlife along the Mississippi Gulf Coast had he pursued a land route. In addition, Turcotte suggests that Bartram’s partial blindness likely contributed to this oversight. Turcotte concludes that the Bartram Trail route along the coastal corridor would offer users an enjoyable bird observation experience – especially if interested in observing birds annually throughout the state’s diverse coastal habitat.

 

Series Identification:

Series 1: “Significant Areas for Bird Life and Bird Study of the Gulf Coast Region of Mississippi.” n.d.

Folder 1