He is the founder and director of Project Concern International (PCI) and an activist against the impact of war and poverty on young people in Asia.
In 1960 he began a lifelong activism for those suffering from lack of medical care and impoverished living conditions notably in Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Appalachia, through Project Concern International and gained respect from those he helped and recognition from service oriented institutions for it.
Conflict over medical advice his family was personally given gave rise to a new field of tort law called wrongful life.
[5][6] James William was a safety engineer in the company that became Armco Steel Corp. His mother's father was John Wesley Duke,[7] a doctor,[4] and much of a model for young Turpin.
[6] Still, as he said in his biographical article,[8] and first book,[13] he was not satisfied that he had a meaningful life and was restless and elsewhere said: "A vague but disturbing disenchantment set in.
[8] He ran into legal and cultural protocols he had failed to appreciate, and needed to register with the "British Medical Council" to run a clinic.
[24] He also expanded the initial land based clinic with a boat-clinic[25][26] named "Yauh Oi", Chinese for "Brotherly Love".
[8] News of the work had spread and in late December Turpin was on a Jaycee (United States Junior Chamber) list of Ten Outstanding Young Americans for his project.
[32] One of the volunteer doctors working in Hong Kong related that he had seen similar intense suffering and privation in Vietnam on the way north.
[14] In 1963, perhaps reflecting his own restlessness in earlier years and why he worked in the project, Turpin said: "A rut is like a grave with the ends knocked out.
[46] Meanwhile, Turpin embarked on a fund-raising tour for Project Concern, noting it was $20,000 a month to run the set of clinics circa 1966,[47] and newspapers also mentioned his wife's progress in medical school in 1967.
[3][64][65][66] The Walk was reflected on as originating with the Project in later years though it had since been used for other fund-raising goals[67] (and has been used in other particulars - see Gerry Bertier and He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother).
[68][69] The National Institutes of Health program of clinics was referenced needing the enthusiasm Turpin presented and inspired.
[71] Project Concern opened an Appalachia unit in Byrdstown, Tennessee in 1969 - a town with no doctor for 9 years and no dentist in 63[72][73] was served with a number of volunteers for a while.
Instead Turpin and Molly attended the national Project Concern meeting in March[78] and they were profiled in a Good Housekeeping article.
[80] With the escalating concerns about war in Vietnam he spoke publicly about his views of the apparent priorities of winning the war but losing the people: In 1967 he became more vocal: Turpin promoted the idea of shifting the orientation in the war to what he called at the time "nation builders" of skilled staff to help transform society - his list was "doctors, dentists, nurses, laboratory techs, sanitationists, teachers, agricultural technicians, civil engineers, animal husbandry technicians, and cottage industry technicians.
"[83] Other quotes at the time showing his thinking include: He sent a plan for peace to Vietnamese and US governments centered around social development.
[84][85] Turpin advocated for ways for youth to participate in the troubles in society and gained a wristband of brotherhood with the Montagnard or Degar people of Vietnam in 1971.
[89] Turpin spoke at the Winter 1972 Jaycee conference concerned with furthering brotherhood through the world and reflected on how he got started but that the situation in American was suffering too: Turpin ended being general director of Project Concern in 1974, lost his elder son in a plane crash, was divorced, and joined the Baháʼí Faith.
[91][92] He continued the work in Appalachia relief[93] and his conversion lead him to meet Donna Wrenn Turner,[91] who had been a member of the religion since 1964[94] and they were soon married, (in a Baháʼí ceremony.
[97] Soon a case was filed pointing to wrongful genetic counseling - it was found he and Wrenn shared recessive genes such that there was a high chance of deaf children.
[97][98][99] Initially the family had moved to Guam about 1976–1977[97] to pioneer to support the Baháʼís and promote the religion while running a clinic on the island.