Colonel Roscoe Turner was born in Corinth , MS , September 1895 and died June 23, 1970 . He applied for the Air Services for World War I, but was rejected because of his lack of college education. Soon after he enlisted as an ambulance driver in May 1917. In October of that year he applied for transfer to the Air Services again, and was this time was accepted for flight training in balloons and aircraft. He was honorably discharged in 1919 as a 1st Lieutenant. After being discharged he used the money he had to buy a Standard H-1 plane and joined the Cadre of Post War Barnstormers.

His uniform and flashy smile gave him his popular image and he was a man of that image and lived up to it. He flew for some movies and for the Nevada Airlines in 1929. He became a Colonel for the Nevada National Guard and adopted the title #151. 

He  stepped into a world of air racing.  He set numerous transcontinental records. In 1933 he won the Shell Speed Races and the famous Bendix Trophy. He also finished 1st in the Closed-Course Thompson Trophy Race, but was disqualified for a pylon infraction. He won the Thompson in 1934, and finished second in the Shell Race. That same year he placed second in the Speed Division of the MacRobertson International Air Race from London to Melbourne. In 1935 he led the Thompson until the last half lap when his engine overheated, and came in only 23.5 seconds behind the winner of the Bendix Race. In 1938 he place second in the Golden Gate Trophy Race, and won the Thompson Trophy for the second time. He announced his retirement from active competition at the close of the 1939 National Air Races. He won the Thompson Trophy for a third time that same year. 

After he announced his retirement he went on to found a flying school in Indianapolis, IN. He was responsible for training 3,300 military pilots for WWII. Turner was multiple winner of the Harmon and Henderson Trophies and received a special Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress in 1952 for his contributions to aviation. The Corinth Municipal airport was renamed in his honor in 1961.