Academy Award winning actor and well-known philanthropist, Paul Newman, passed away from cancer on September 26. He was 83.
Newman, who had an extensive film career spanning over fifty years, and received an Oscar for his performance in The Color of Money, will undoubtedly be remembered more for his entrepreneurship and undying devotion to philanthropy than his iconic film performances.
In 1988, Newman co-founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for seriously ill children with locations in the United States and abroad. And his famous food line, Newman’s Own, which started with his signature salad dressing and eventually expanded to pasta sauce, salsa, wine and more, became the major vehicle with which Newman funded his charitable work. It is estimated that Newman’s Own generated over $250 million in revenue, all of which, after taxes, went to donations.
Newman was also an outspoken activist for American civil liberties, which he supported through the PEN/Newman’s Own First Amendment Award, presented each spring to a U.S. resident who has fought courageously, despite adversity, to safeguard the First Amendment right to freedom of expression in the written word.
In June 1999, Newman also donated $250,000 to the relief of Kosovo refugees.
On June 1, 2007, Kenyon College, Newman's alma mater, announced that Newman had donated an astounding $10 million to the school to establish a scholarship fund as part of the college's current $230 million fund-raising campaign.
Newman, who famously shunned the Hollywood spotlight, has done the impossible – leaving a legacy of charitable work so large, it will undoubtedly overshadow his cinematic triumphs. And that’s probably the way he would have wanted it.
To see a short video tribute to Paul Newman, click here.
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