Two Former Legislative Council Members Leave Their Mark of UIL
By Jeanne Acton | Monday, August 17, 2009 10:20 AM
The League lost two of its champion supporters this summer.
On July 22, Vernon Newsom, who retired as the Mansfield ISD Superintendent in June, died from injuries sustained from a motorcycle accident in South Dakota.
Then on Aug. 6 in Wichita Falls, Dan Owen, the former superintendent of Holliday ISD, lost his nine-month battle with cancer.
Both men served two four-year terms on the Legislative Council. Newsom resigned in June when he announced his retirement from Mansfield ISD, and Owen served on the Council from 1987 to 1995.
UIL Executive Director Charles Breithaupt said, “Both men were tremendous supporters. They stood faithful to our mission and our activities.”
Legislative Council Chair and Superintendent of Garland ISD Dr. Curtis Culwell, who worked beside both Owen and Newsom, said they were great educators who truly believed in UIL.
“They cared deeply for the mission and purpose of the League,” he said. “They gave a lot of themselves to the League.”
Vernon Newsom
Breithaupt said the news of Newsom’s death was a shock to him. “Twenty-three days after he retired, he’s gone,” he said. “Here’s a man who deserved the opportunity to enjoy his retirement.”
During his time on the Council, Newsom served as chair of the athletic committee and chair of the full Council.
“Vernon offered up a quiet, reserved manner in the midst of unique controversies,” Breithaupt said. “He was the voice of reason. He always had the appropriate questions and offered a great deal of leadership to the council.”
Culwell also described Newsom as a quiet man and a good listener. He said he will Newsom’s wry smile the most.
“When you saw that smile, you knew he was about to tell you something that you needed to hear,” Culwell said.
At his funeral in Mansfield, Culwell said mourners referred to Newsom as “Mr. Mansfield” because he had been a teacher, coach, principal and the longest-serving superintendent in the district and the county.
Newsom’s wife, Nadyne, was on the motorcycle when the accident occurred. She suffered severe injuries and is still recovering.
“Vernon and his wife were inseparable,” Culwell said. “You would see them at UIL activities, Mansfield activities — always together.”
Dan Owen
Owen served on the Council also during volatile times, Breithaupt said.
“Dan brought a West Texas perspective that was paramount,” he said. “He looked at issues from a coaches' viewpoint, a principal’s perspective and also a superintendent’s perspective. He reminded us of our true mission – service at the grassroots level.”
Even after leaving the Council and retiring from the school district, Owen stayed connected to the UIL. Every year, expect for one when his wife was gravely ill, Owen took the trek to Austin for the State Basketball Tournament.
“There will an empty seat there this year and empty hearts,” Breithaupt said. “Dan was a fan first. He loved watching the kids from all conferences. It won’t be quite the same without him.”
Two years ago, Breithaupt rode in the Hotter than Hell 100 bicycle ride in Wichita Falls. He stayed with Owen the night before his race.
“We talked a lot that night,” he said. “He talked about his joys — about his children, his grandchildren and his great grandchildren. He talked about the League and how much he missed it.”
Breithaupt said the last conversation he had with Newsom was when the League and Council recognized him at the June meeting.
“He told me that serving on the council was one of the highlights of his career,” he said.
That sense of loyalty to the League resonates with Breithaupt. “These were two men, at the top of their game, very well respected, yet they believed serving on the Council was one of their greatest accomplishments,” he said.
The League will honor both men during the State Basketball Tournament this year, Breithaupt said.
“These men were great leaders,” he said. “And great friends. They will be missed.”