Like so many other Brooklyn College graduates through the years, Jay Newman, ’68, was a teacher. Though he left his native Brooklyn after graduating from the College, he always remained committed to his alma mater. He considered his years at the College to have been the transformative influence in his life, giving him the tools he would need to succeed.
Last spring, I received a phone call from Jay in response to a short article he had read in the Brooklyn College Magazine that explained how bequests help provide critical funding for essential programs at the College. He wished to explore making a gift to Brooklyn College in his will. So, we reviewed the basics and looked at various programs in which he was interested. A week or so after I sent Jay the requested information, he called again to let me know details of the gift he was planning.
Jay died several months after we spoke. Although his gift may lead one to believe otherwise, Jay was not an extraordinarily wealthy man nor did he lead an extravagant lifestyle – but as with so many Brooklyn College products he worked hard, invested wisely, and had a true passion for education. He lived his passion every day as a teacher. Professor Newman will be missed by his students, friends and colleagues, but his legacy will stay on in the lives of the thousands of students he taught and, just as significantly, it will flourish in the many Brooklyn College students who will benefit from his foresight and generosity.