Drew Today
Billboard Magnate’s Foundation Supports EC
Gift of $250K will support the construction of the new building’s lobby.
Drew University’s new Ehinger Center (EC) will boast a lobby that’s twice as large—and twice as inviting—as its predecessor in the old University Center (UC). Construction of the new space is being supported by a $250,000 gift from the George W. Newman Foundation, which was arranged by Marc Joseph C’48, the foundation’s trustee.
According to Drew President Robert Weisbuch, the lobby’s atmosphere will set the tone for the rest of the EC, making the foundation’s support for the space critically important.
“This lobby is the gateway, not just to one of our buildings, but to the building that, as its name suggests, brings together the entire Drew community,” he said. “It’s welcoming aura will represent the warmth of our university.”
Joseph says the foundation’s decision to support the new EC was an easy one, given his own fond memories of being a student at Drew and George Newman’s legacy of philanthropy in education.
“The thing I remember most about Drew was having tremendously impressive professors,” he said. “I felt strongly about supporting the university in whatever fashion it needed that support. Funding the lobby of the Ehinger Center emerged as the perfect project since it was an area of need for Drew.”
According to Joseph, the gift is also in keeping with Newman’s history of supporting educational institutions.
During his lifetime, foundation namesake George W. Newman was very successful in the outdoor advertising industry. According to Joseph, who first represented Newman as his legal counsel before joining his organization, this fortune came after humble beginnings.
“Newman started out as a sign painter, but that didn’t last long” he said. “As a young man, he arranged for financing and went into the business of owning billboards and renting them to advertisers. And he was hugely successful at it.”
As he grew older, Joseph says Newman sold off most of his billboard portfolio, which lined roadways and cities in the New York metropolitan area. But, according to Joseph, Newman held onto one that had sentimental value to him.
“If you go into the Lincoln Tunnel from New Jersey to New York, you’ll see the Panasonic sign—with the traffic camera on top—which was kept by George,” he said. “His family is still operating that sign today.”
Joseph says Newman started the foundation while he was still alive and mainly supported hospitals and schools, even though his own education was cut short by an early start to his career.
“He never graduated from high school, but made up for that with an inherent wisdom,” Joseph said.
Joseph admits that his ideas on how students might use the new EC are old-fashioned, but isn’t worried about them making the most of the new building.
“I don’t want to take it upon myself to tell the new generation what they should do,” he said. “I think they’re doing great on their own. They’ve changed the world.”—Michael Bressman