James Edward Newman, Purdue University Professor, Agrometeorologist, Climatologist, Educator, residing at Westminster Village, 2741 N. Salisbury St., West Lafayette, Indiana, was born in Brown County, OH, 22 December 1920, the son of Roy Lee and Lola Rae Schweickart Newman. He grew up on a general livestock farm, graduating from Grant Memorial High School in Georgetown, in
1940 with honors.
He entered The Ohio State University in September, 1940. He is a decorated veteran of WWII, having served in the Army Air Corps in the South Pacific, Philippines, and China from 1942-1946. He received the BS Degree in 1947 and the MS degree in 1949 at The Ohio State University. He furthered his studies in meteorology and climatology at the University of Wisconsin in 1957-58.
He married Laurie Persis Haas on July 17, 1949. Three children survive: Shelley Newman (David Ross) of Medford, MA, Roy C. Newman (Cheryl) of Dayton, KY, and Arnold H. Newman (Diane) of West Lafayette, IN. Four grandsons also
survive: Taylor Newman of Oak Park, IL, Harrison Newman of Chicago, IL, Graham Newman of Philadelphia, PA, and Garrett Newman of West Lafayette, IN.
His professional career at Purdue University began in September, 1949. He was promoted to Associate Professor of Bioclimatology in 1959 and to Professor in 1968.  He directed a USDA funded research assignment for the University of California-Riverside in 1965-66. He was invited by the University of Alaska, AES, Palmer, AK, to direct climatological impact research for that state in 1970. In 1975 he was a
USDA National Library Scholar at the National Library in Beltsville, MD. He was a Visiting Professor at Wye College at the University of London, UK, in 1977 and a Visiting Scientist at the National Meteorological Institute at Nanjing, China, in 1987.
In addition to his research work, Professor Newman worked in extension education activities and taught meteorology and climatology in the Department of Agronomy.
He served as Indiana State Climatologist from 1982-1988. He was a leader in the establishment of the Atmospheric Sciences curriculum at Purdue.  He was awarded an AAAS Fellow (American Association for the Advancement of Science) in 1964; American Society of Agronomy Soils and Crops Journalism
Award in 1965, Fellow in 1968; Indiana Academy of Science Fellow in 1972. He was a member of the American Meteorological Society and served on the executive board as well as President Elect and President of the International Society of Biometeorology from 1979 through 1991. The Purdue University Agricultural Alumni Association Certificate of Distinction in was awarded to him 1987.
He served as Editor, International Journal of Agricultural Meteorology from 1972-1976. He was a member of the select panel for the National Defense University Study of Climate Change and Food Production, 1976-78; was chairman, the Institute of Ecology, Food and Climate Study, 1975-77, as well as being a member of the Committee on Atmospheric Science, National Research Council, National
Academy of Science, 1979-81.
Professor Newman was elected to membership in the academic honorary societies of Gamma Sigma Delta, Ceres, Epsilon Sigma Phi and Sigma Xi.
During his professional career, he authored approximately 200 scientific and semi- technical papers, plus editing the translation of three textbooks from the Russian and Polish languages in 1961-62. He contributed to textbooks, monographs, and technical documents in the area of biometeorology/climatology and related agronomic topics. He retired in 1988, ending a 38-year academic career. In retirement, he continued his writing and consulting in the area of agricultural
climatology specializing in long range weather and climate impacts on agriculture and grain markets. He was elected an Honorary Master Farmer by the Farm Progress Prairie Farmer publications in 2005. You may sign the guest book and leave memories and pictures at www.soller-baker.com
Memorial service to be announced at a later date.