[3] The Foundation was founded by Les Turner, a Chicago businessman, and his family after he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 1976.

[4] Les Turner serves nearly 90 percent of ALS patients in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Then, in 1986, the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic was opened at Northwestern to provide patient services.

[7][9] In 2014, the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine was created to "accelerate research and advance patient care".

The Center was opened in addition to the continual operation of three research laboratories and the Lois Insolia ALS Clinic.