Don Newman
Upper School Math
Don Newman teaches Geometry Honors, Algebra II Honors, Pre-Calculus Honors, and AP Calculus BC and AB.
Mr. Newman has a bachelor of science degree from Bethel College and a masters of mathematics from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Mr. Newman has been an educator for more than 40 years and has taught AP Calculus for the past 35 years. Head of USJ’s Math Department, Mr. Newman has been an AP consultant for the College Board in calculus for 13 years, serving as an AP reader for seven years and as a table leader for seven years. He was a question leader during his last year. After 12 years and mandatory retirement from the AP program, Mr. Newman teaches his own workshops in AP Calculus. Mr. Newman’s teaching legacy has seen more than 90 percent of his students pass the final AP Exam.
Mr. Newman and his wife, Betty Armes Newman, have four children, Holly, Grant, Wendy and Clay. Grant, Wendy and Clay graduated from USJ. They also have six grandchildren, two of whom are currently USJ students.
Mr. Newman also coached tennis and cross country for 25 years before resigning as head coach in 1998.
"I strongly support USJ and it's programs," Mr. Newman says. "My children are a strong testament to the quality of the education they received here. They benefited greatly from both the academic and athletic programs at this school."
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Mr. Newman Inducted into Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame
Donald Newman, a longtime tennis and cross country coach at University School of Jackson, will be inducted into the Jackson-Madison County Sports Hall of Fame on April 14.
Newman has been involved with tennis since 1970 when he worked as tennis instructor and director of tennis for the Jackson City Parks and Recreation Department. He began his tennis coaching career at Jackson-Central Merry in 1974. After 11 years and 17 district championships for the boys and girls tennis teams, he moved to Old Hickory Academy, which is now University School of Jackson.
Under his coaching at USJ, Newman’s tennis players won seven boys district championships, 10 girls district championships, three boys regional championships, four girls regional championship, one boys Chattanooga Rotary championship, and two girls Chattanooga Rotary championships.
The season records for all the tennis teams he has coached is 528 wins, 51 losses, and two ties.
He has been named Boys District Coach of the Year eight times, Girls District Coach of the year 11 times, Best of the West Coach of the Year five times and Tennessee’s TSSAA Nominee for National Coach of the Year in 1979 and 1985.
In all, Newman has coached 49 players who have advanced to the state tournament. Twenty of his players played at least one year of tennis at the collegiate level. One of his players, Fran Spencer Chandler, was named to the all SEC team twice during her tennis career at the University of Mississippi.
In 1985, Newman began as the cross country coach at USJ. During his tenure, his teams have won 57 invitational meets and 13 Best of the West meets. The girls’ teams have won four regional meets. Honors in coaching the cross country teams include being Best of the West Coach of the Year six times and Girls’ Regional Coach of the Year four times.
Newman, who has retired from his coaching career, continues to teach Upper School mathematics at USJ. A native of West Tennessee, Newman retains an active lifestyle, running up to four miles several times a week. He also competes in road races in the state, and has run the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta numerous times.
