Jesse C. Newman passed away on July 10, 2024.
He was born May 12, 1942, to Jesse and Maxine Newman in Lawrence, Kansas. His mother taught him to read at the age of three and created a huge desire for books. At 14, he started flying lessons with Pat Patterson, cousin and Tuskegee Airman, and he was licensed at 16.
He graduated from Lawrence High School in 1960, where he played football. He attended University of Kansas, majoring in piano and East Asian studies, Japanese history and anthropology. He also played football on KU’s first bowl team on Dec. 17, 1961, that won the third annual Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston, Texas, 33-7.
In spring of 1962, he purchased his first Jaguar, a 1954 XK120 drop-head coupe. He owned six other Jaguars and a 2007 Aston Martin Vantage. He also owned three single-engine Cessna airplanes and his dream plane, a Mitsubishi MU-2, for 27 years. Mostly traveling to Japan and Israel, he flew to 73 countries with Coca-Cola and flew for three commercial airlines and private charters.
Jesse entered the U.S. Navy Reserves in 1963, went on active duty in 1965 and flew three tours in Vietnam, staying in the Reserves until 1993.
In 1969, he invested in commodities, soybeans and OTC stocks, and, in 1973, followed that experience with the founding of Newman Securities Company, Inc., in an effort to become the first minority firm on the Midwest Stock Exchange. By 1975, Newman Securities Company specialized in selling banks in Kansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Iowa, Florida, Colorado and Texas. From 1984 through 2018, he initiated development of hotel and office complexes for Kansas City, Kansas; Nassau, Bahamas; and Kansas City, Missouri.
He founded the Japanese Cultural Arts Festival at UMKC (now at Johnson County Community College), which has continued since 1999. He became enmeshed with the Japanese through his work at founding the Japanese Cultural Arts Foundation in 2004, a $70 million real estate project with Japanese gardens and buildings on 500 acres in Johnson County, Kansas.
He published many editorials in local papers — The Kansas City Star, The Lawrence Journal-World and The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle — and multiple books: “Essays on Humanity and History” in 1968; “Local Sports Hero” in 2010; “Can There Be Lasting Peace in the Middle East?” in 2009; “The Hated Outsiders” in 2010; and “History of Kyodo and Iaido” in 2015. Another book “The History of Movement of Populations” is pending publication. He was a guest lecturer with Dr. Felix Moos, professor at KU, with position papers, panels at junior colleges and lectures at many universities across the United States. In 2018, he was invited and accepted a KU mentorship for business and history.
In 1973, he was chairman of the first Kansas City Jaguar Concours Classic. He loved racing SCCA and going to Grand Prix, Formula 1 and Reno Air races.
He was recognized for his powerlifting championships by the U.S. Powerlifting Federation in 1989 for the Kansas state record, having lifted a total of 1,218 pounds in three lifts. In 2004, he won the Kansas state record, American national record and world record for bench pressing 395 pounds in the 60-64 age group.
He also loved jazz and books — his library comprised over 700 books of history, math, sciences, economics and finance. Beginning in 2018, the Spencer Research Library at KU archived all his business and other materials.
He was a member of many associations, including Kansas Alumni; K Club; Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association; The Tailhook Association; National Association of Flight Instructors; Heart of America Japan-American Society; Popular Culture Association; U. S. Karate Association; National Association of Japan-America Societies; and U.S.A. National Karate-do Federation (where he won 14 gold, five silver and three bronze medals). The Native American Nations of the United States of America honored Jesse with the Warriors Medal of Valor in 2013, presented at Haskell Nations University Lawrence, Kansas.
The greatest impact on his life was his conversion to Orthodox Judaism in May of 1969, and secondly, all the reading of histories, science and math opened his mind to really being able to think and question about this planet, deep space and universes beyond.
He is survived by his beloved wife, Cheryl; three daughters, Aviva, Shira and Ruth; brother, Kenneth; six grandchildren; and Sean Edinger, the man whom he regarded as the son he never had.
Professor Rue Cromwell, Ph.D, of KU wrote, “Those who knew Jesse were impressed that his life experiences led a defense of his minority status with both intellectual and physical prowess. Yet this identity was superseded by a loving and giving approach to all humankind. This unique quality will be greatly missed.”
Funeral services were held on July 24 at the Louis Memorial Chapel, followed by burial at Oak Hill Cemetery in Lawrence. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Kehilath Israel Synagogue.
