William Ernest Stephen Turner (22 September 1881 – 27 October 1963) was a British chemist and pioneer of scientific glass technology.
However, as his articles in the local newspaper showed, he was interested in the application of science to practical industrial problems, and this became the main theme of his work.
The beginning of the First World War cut off metallurgical supplies from Germany and Austria, and Turner proposed that the University should help British industry.
He thereby persuaded the University to set up a Department of Glass Manufacture in 1915 for research and teaching where he remained for the rest of his career, becoming internationally known.
In 1915, the Department of Glass Manufacture began an outreach programme, providing short courses to industry in Mexborough, Barnsley, Castleford and Knottingley in addition to Saturday classes in Sheffield.
During the Second World War, Turner and other staff of the department provided technical lectures to industries such as those making glass electronic vacuum tubes.