In 2013, the Dishman Art Museum became the proud stewards of the Jerry Newman Papers. Pattee Newman, Jerry Newman’s widow, gifted the papers to Lamar University, with the Dishman Art Museum their repository, continuing Newman’s 40+ year legacy of teaching and guiding Lamar's students of art and scholars throughout the community.

Longtime Professor at Lamar

Jerry Newman (1934 – 2008) taught painting, in the Department of Art for more than four decades. Upon his retirement in 1999 at age 65, The Texas State University System Board of Regents honored him as distinguished professor emeritus, stating that he “left an enduring legacy of artistic excellence in the brushes and palettes of students who themselves have garnered widespread attention and respect.”

Newman Legacy

Jerry Newman taught world-renowned artists such as John Alexander, Paul Manes, and Dreamworks SKG animator Kelly Asbury during his career at Lamar. Newman’s own work has been exhibited in the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, the Art Museum of Southeast Texas, and several other national museums.