David Dunlop Newsom

David Dunlop Newsom David Dunlop Newsom died of respiratory failure on Sunday, March 30, 2008, at the University of Virginia Medical Center. Born in Richmond, California in 1918, David Newsom graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and Columbia University' s School of Journalism. His many careers included the United States Navy (World War II), journalist (San Francisco Chronicle), United States Foreign Service Officer, and professor. He served 35 years as a diplomat in seven countries abroad: Pakistan, Norway, Iraq, England, Libya, Indonesia, and the Phillipines. He was appointed ambassador to the latter three countries. After retiring from the Department of State in 1981, following his last assignment as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs in the Carter administration, Ambas-sador Newsom became director of the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. from 1981 until 1991. He moved to Charlottesville when he was appointed a professor at the University of Virginia' s Department of Government and Foreign Affairs, now the Politics Department. After his retirement from University of Virginia, he continued to lecture at the Jill Institute. Over the last few years his goal was to complete an account of his remarkable lifelong world-wide experi-ences. His manuscript was delivered to the publisher just prior to his admission to the University of Virginia Medical Center in january. His memoirs are scheduled to be published later this year. David Newsom is survived by his wife, Jean. Together they celebrated in Berkeley, California, 65 years of marriage last November. Survivors also include five children, John of Seattle, Daniel of Boston, Nancy of Geneva, Switzerland, Catherine of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, and David of Potomac, Maryland; six granddaughters and three grandsons. All of his family came to Charlottesville in early January to celebrate their father and grandfather' s 90th birthday. A celebration of David Newsom' s life will be held at Westminister Presbyterian Church, 190 Rugby Road, at 3 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2008. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations to Westminister Presbyterian Church, Mission and Outreach Fund or University Mission Fund, P.O. Box 3365, Charlottesville, VA 22903; or to The International Rescue Committee, 609 East Market Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.