By Raymond Matthews, Longwood ’19 for The Undergraduate Journal
Newman on a River Boat in Venice 1963
As years go by, current undergraduate members may be less and less familiar with the legacy of Paul Newman, Ohio ’43. In this edition of the Undergraduate Journal I hope to give some insight from a broad perspective into the acting and philanthropic career of brother Newman.
Paul Leonard Newman was a phenomenal man of distinction. Newman was very talented in multiple different areas of interest which varied greatly.
He is perhaps best known for his disciplines within entrepreneurship, race-car driving, film directing, acting, and most importantly his philanthropic works within the United States. Newman has always had an interest within the world of theatre which led him to become a professional actor.
His first known part within a play was as a jester in a school performance for Robin Hood when he was only seven years old. This created further determination for Newman as he was a prominent performer and recognized alumni for the, “Cleveland PlayHouses Curtain Pullers”, a theatre program in which he performed at ten years old. Furthermore, Newman attended Ohio University in Athens, Ohio for a short time, where he initiated into the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity in 1943 before leaving to join the US Military and serve during World War II.
After the war, in the 1950’s, is when Paul Newman’s acting career took off. He appeared in such critically acclaimed films as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Cool Hand Luke, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Color of Money for which he received his first Academy Award for Best Actor after being nominated seven times.
Newman with Campers
Newman also had a tremendous aspiration for philanthropy. Later in his career Newman co-funded a camp which was for children who were chronically ill, “The Hole in the Wall Camp”, named after the gang in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This was a residential summer camp located inAshford, Connecticut, which was founded in 1988. The camps are designed to be fully accessible to children facing life threatening illnesses, including medical staff to address any particular needs.
Historically, the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity embraced Newman’s Hole in the Wall Camp as their national philanthropy. This initial camp has grown to include Hole in the Wall Camps within the United States, Ireland, Israel, and France. The Hole in the Wall Camps are now formally recognized as SeriousFun Children's Network.
Newman Promoting Newman’s Own Salad Dressing
Paul Newman has proceeded to establish philanthropic work for establishments such as The Mirror Theatre Ltd, Catholic Relief Services, Kenyon College, Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, and the Newman’s Own Foundation. “Newman’s Own”, of course, is a brand you can still see commonly in most grocery stores where all profits after tax are donated to the Newman’s Own Foundation.
Paul Newman was recognized as the Most Generous Celebrity of 2008. Brother Newman truly had a heart for those around them, and had a soul which put a smile on everyone’s face. He passed away in 2008 at the age of 84. Paul Newman is a man of distinction when it comes to the values and principles in which we all constitute as Brothers of the Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity.
The Undergraduate Journal is a recurring column within Phi Kappa Tau News, covering topics of undergraduate interest to promote current chapters. If you would like to contribute to the Undergraduate Journal or have your chapter featured contact communications@phikappatau.org.