Celebrating Dr. George and Carolyn Newman

Dr. George Newman starts his days early, before the sun rises, to tend to the cows and land under his care. In fact, when he taught at Hardin-Simmons from 1967-1992, he preferred to schedule 8:00 am classes to account for his 4:00 am wakeup call. He also cheekily claims to have loved that timeslot to teach his students the importance of arriving on time (a locked classroom door at 8:01 was not uncommon for Dr. Newman).

His presence is larger than life on campus, within the community, and across the state. The lists of accolades, engagements, and accomplishments are long and deserved. He is known on campus as the founder of Western Heritage Day, Professor Emeritus of Biology, and former Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Across the Big Country and state, he is known as an accomplished rancher, Judge for Taylor County, and is sought for his knowledge of the Guadalupe Mountains. These various titles are minor compared to the impact Dr. Newman’s time and generosity have granted anyone who has crossed his path.

Dr. Newman is a committed educator who has gained recognition in research and publication. He served HSU as a professor and tennis coach, mentoring countless students. Dr. Newman now spends his days “retired” as a full-time rancher. His love for God’s creation is evident and he will tell you, “Joy is abundant in nature, only to be recognized.”

Carolyn Newman, like her husband, has dedicated her life to education and creating immersive learning experiences. She is a retired music teacher who spent most of her career at Dyess Elementary in Abilene. The Newmans have impacted thousands of school-aged children with their educational programming – Mrs. Newman with her I Love America Day at Dyess E.S., which ran for over 25 years, and Dr. Newman with his Western Heritage Day, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.

The Newmans came to Abilene in 1967 when Dr. Newman was asked to serve as Professor of Biology at HSU.

When he first came to campus to interview for the faculty position, the Sid Richardson Science Center was not built yet. Dr. Newman shared, “I was the first faculty member to see the drawings of Sid Rich. During my visit, I was told to point to the blueprint and pick out my office.” He went on to add, “I was assured it would be built and ready by July of 1967.” The construction, however, was not finished by the time Dr. Newman arrived. So, he spent his first months at HSU teaching in Simmons Science, collecting fond and funny memories as the old, dilapidated building fell apart around him.

Due to the age of the building, mice had burrowed their way into Simmons Science long before Dr. Newman’s arrival. Little did the rodents know how beneficial they would be to Dr. Newman’s classes. For his ecology classes, Dr. Newman assigned his students to trap and track the mice of Simmons Science and study the mice population of the building. Years later when Dr. Newman began to take students to his ranch on field trips, they no longer used indoor mice for study, but instead the free-roaming wildlife and botany of West Texas.

Dr. Newman painted the picture of what it looked like to move into the newly built Sid Richardson Science Center. “It was February 1968 and raining. Everything was muddy. Don Bridges laid plywood on the ground as a path between Simmons Science and Sid Richardson,” described Dr. Newman. “We were like ants, walking in a line on the plywood, hands carrying microscopes, furniture, everything from the old science building to the new one.” Unfortunately, those mice made their way over too, temporarily at least. “When the old Coca-Cola machine was moved over, we didn’t realize there was a nest hidden inside,” he said with his eyes crinkling in a smile.

For the next 24 years, Dr. Newman taught anatomy, microbiology, ecology, and more in Sid Rich. “I still call it the new science building and current faculty look at me like I’m crazy,” he said laughing. “It was so well designed,” he said when speaking on the practicality of the building. His time in Sid Rich contributed to HSU’s commitment to science and bringing up the next generation of skilled health professionals, researchers, biologists, and more.

Like the Sid Richardson Foundation, over the years the Newmans have blessed Hardin-Simmons with their generosity. The Newmans have provided resources to many scholarships and campus initiatives including, but not limited to, the establishment of the George and Carolyn Newman Endowed Scholarship, HSU Grassland Initiative Endowment, supporting the Rube and Mary Kate Evans Endowed Scholarship, the Lee and Lou C. Evans Endowed Scholarship, and the Lee and Lou C. Evans Western Heritage Endowment, along with countless hours of volunteering at Western Heritage Days, cheering at athletic events, and advocating for the university across platforms.

The planned renovations on Sid Rich, in conjunction with the speakLIFE campaign, provided the catalyst of honoring Dr. George and Mrs. Carolyn Newman. In recognition of the Newmans’ impact on the campus, their family name will be permanently affixed next to Sid Richardson’s, encompassing all the resources as Dr. George and Carolyn Newman and Sid Richardson Science Center.

A ceremony to mark this occasion will take place Tuesday, August 30 at 10:30 am in the Newman-Richardson Science Center, room 100. Everyone is invited!

To read more about the Newmans, building renovations, and speakLIFE, check out the Spring-Summer 2022 Range Rider.