He took his first administrative position when he was named dean of the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1924, a job he held for three years until his election to Centre's presidency.

Turck went to Macalester in 1938 to give a lecture; at that time, the school was nearly a year into a presidential search to replace John Carey Acheson.

He led the school through World War II, during which he spoke out against isolationism, which was broadly favored by the student body, and was accused by J.

[8] Centre struggled through the Great Depression as faculty were twice forced to take pay cuts, and retention of freshman students reached a low of 30%.

[9] Turck's presidency at Centre sought to continue the trend that was started by his predecessor, R. Ames Montgomery, of decreasing emphasis on athletics and prioritizing academics instead.

[2] Additionally, the first study abroad program at Centre began early in his term with a European trip in mid-1928, which was approved by faculty in November 1927.

[2] Turck resigned Centre's presidency on June 23, 1936, effective July 1,[12] to take a position in Governor Happy Chandler's state tax commission.

[22] Macalester experienced a decrease in the proportion of its students who were Presbyterian; in the 1950s that number was typically in the high twenties or low thirties, compared to figures in excess of fifty percent prior to 1920.

[23] Relatively early into his term, during World War II, Turck took a position at the United States Army School of Military Government, hosted by the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia,[5][24] and also spent time at the Provost Marshal General's School at Fort Custer Training Center in Battle Creek, Michigan.

[26] As the issue of fitness, both of those leaving and those still on campus, was brought into the spotlight, Macalester's physical education requirements were strengthened and a women's basketball team was founded.

[29] The petition was withdrawn after Turck denied the students permission to send it under the school's name, and shortly thereafter made public his views in opposition of isolationism altogether.

[29] The war also delayed his plans regarding the liberal arts curriculum, as the school was forced to return to one that was more vocationally oriented due to the personnel on campus.

[30] A moderate Republican,[15] he was considered for the role of staff director of the Civil Rights Commission in the Eisenhower administration but ultimately did not get the job.

[31] That year also saw twelve new faculty members assigned to departments in the liberal arts, thereby realigning with Turck's plans for the shift in curriculum.