Bruce Newlin '58, M.S. '59, Ed.D. '71
Bruce Newlin '58, M.S. '59, Ed.D. '71, of Rancho Mirage, California, passed away on April 27 at age 89.
The following is adapted from an online obituary:
Newlin was born on July 21, 1934, in New Jersey to Henry and Annabelle. The family relocated to California early in his life, and he called Glendale home for his formative years. A Bruin through and through, he earned a bachelor's, a master's and a doctorate in education from UCLA. Years later, he returned as a faculty member for the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, and became the founding director of the Principal Leadership Institute.
Although Newlin's later years were defined by his contribution to the field of education, his first love was baseball, and he pitched professionally for the Yankees organization. After his career in sports ended, he went into teaching, where his curiosity for both learning and people propelled him quickly into leadership roles. He served as the superintendent of schools for five school districts throughout California, receiving the California School Board Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award for Leadership, and the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Administrator of the Year Award.
Newlin's passion for purpose took him through three “retirements” and drove him to contribute at the local, state, national and international levels. Highlights of his career include serving as chairman of California’s State Curriculum Commission, the State Teacher Credentialing Commission, the Governor’s Advisory Council for Education and the Governor’s Business Roundtable. He served on the National Advisory Board for the J. Paul Getty Trust in Education, IBM’s National Advisory Board for Education, The International Network of Principals Centers, and the National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing (CRESST).
While his career enriched Newlin’s life in many ways, the best gift it brought him was his wife Karin, whom he met one fateful afternoon in Lancaster, California, while touring classrooms as the new assistant superintendent. They were married on July 11, 1976, at the Wayfarers Chapel in Palos Verdes. Together, they enjoyed 47 happy years of marriage, and had two beautiful children. Despite his full career, Newlin somehow still managed to be a father who never missed a volleyball game, made breakfast every morning, read books in bed every night, played “HORSE” in the driveway, and showed kindness and love through the tiny gestures of parenthood that often go unnoticed.
With a deep love of history, Newlin would often be found reading historical non-fiction. He was a sports fan who enjoyed great play, but didn’t care much about the outcome unless his Bruins were on the court. Whenever possible, he made time for tennis matches, ski trips and Hawaiian beaches, and often spent evenings at the theater and concerts.
When he passed, Newlin was surrounded by his wife and soulmate, Karin, his two daughters, Heather and Amanda, and his three grandchildren, Rémy, Osa and Sierra.
A service and reception will be held May 31; see memorial page for details.
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