Sunday Prince Blogging

Accidents of inheritance and ancestral power plays give rise to the traditional concept of nobility. Then there is nobility of the soul.

Paul Newman was this kind of noble.


We all know him as a stunningly handsome and gifted actor.


This is what stands out for me:

Newman was a co-founder of Newman's Own, a food company from which Newman donated all profits and royalties to charity. As of May 2007, these donations had exceeded US$220 million.

Since this is a Constitution-emphasizing site, how about this?

Among other awards, Newman's Own co-sponsors the PEN/Newman's Own First Amendment Award, a $25,000 reward designed to recognize those who protect the First Amendment as it applies to the written word.

And this:

One beneficiary of his philanthropy is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a residential summer camp for seriously ill children, which is located in Ashford, Connecticut. Newman cofounded the camp in 1988; it was named after the gang in his film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Newman's college fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, adopted "Hole in the Wall" as their "national philanthropy" in 1995. One camp has expanded to become several Hole in the Wall Camps in the U.S., Ireland, France and Israel. The camp serves 13,000 children every year, free of charge.

Or this:

In June 1999 Newman donated $250,000 to Catholic Relief Services in aid refugees in Kosovo.

[All these tidbits are from Wikipedia.]

No, that is not his beloved wife Joanne Woodward in this photo. It is a mother he met at an event for Kerry in 2004. Her story is one of the reasons Paul Newman is a true prince among mortals. Michael Daly writes about it here. That is what prompted me to post in tribute to Paul Newman.

From the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps:

He was a man of extraordinary generosity, vision, creativity and compassion. His selfless commitment to the welfare of children living with serious illnesses has been inspirational to people around the world. Twenty years ago, Paul Newman founded The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, the first in what has grown to become the world’s largest family of camps serving children with serious illnesses. The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is part of his living legacy, and for that we remain forever grateful. His leadership and spirit can never be replaced, but he has left us with a clear course for the future.

Paul’s dream lives on in the joy, magic and healing power of Camp. What an extraordinary privilege to have shared his friendship and affection.

Rest in peace, Mr. Newman. And thank you.
--the BB