He served in the United States Army during World War II where he also attended the University of Paris.
[2][3] After the war, he attended classes at Pennsylvania State University, and was employed by the Marshall and Bruce Company, as a sales representative.
[3] Turnham started off his political career as a member of the Lee County School Board, from which he served from 1955 to 1958.
[6] The Alabama Association for Public Continuing and Adult Education's Pete Turnham Scholarship is named after him.
[8] He married Netye Kathryn Earnest in 1943 and had four children with her, including Alabama politician Joe Turnham.