Isidore Newman School is a private, nondenominational, coeducational college preparatory school located on an 11-acre (45,000 m2) campus in the uptown section of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Isidore Newman School
Address
Map
1903 Jefferson Avenue

,
70115

Coordinates29°55′52″N 90°06′42″W / 29.9311°N 90.1116°W / 29.9311; -90.1116
Information
TypePrivate, college-prep, day
MottoDiscimus Agere Agendo[1]
(We learn to do by doing)
DenominationNon-denominational
Established1903
FounderIsidore Newman
Head of schoolDale Smith
Faculty208 (2021)
GradesPK12
GenderCoeducational
Number of students1,055 (2021)
Average class size15
Student to teacher ratio6:1
Campus size11 acres (4.5 ha)
Colour(s)Kelly green, white
   
Fight songGreen and White
Athletics conferenceLHSAA
MascotGreenie Gator
NicknameGreenies
AccreditationNAISISAS
SACS
NewspaperThe Navigator
YearbookAbsinthe
Endowment~$37,000,000 (2019-2020)
Budget~$31,000,000 (2019-2020)
Alumni~6,700
Websitewww.newmanschool.org
The original school name, Isidore Newman Manual Training School, was changed to its current name in 1931.

History

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Isidore Newman School was founded in 1903 by Isidore Newman, a New Orleans philanthropist and founder of the Maison Blanche department store chain. It opened its doors the following year as the Isidore Newman Manual Training School (the name was changed in 1931),[2] and it was initially intended for Jewish orphans. Historically, Jewish charities supported the school.[3] The school buildings suffered damage due to wind[4] and flooding caused by 2005's Hurricane Katrina and was closed for two months.[5] It reopened in January 2006, and by October 2006 enrollment fully recovered.[4] As of April 2022, the school is the target of a sealed federal civil rights lawsuit, filed in 2018, related to Title IX violations in connection with a separate lawsuit against a student convicted of sexual battery.[6][7]

Newman offers comprehensive education for students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, organized into Lower, Middle and Upper schools.[8] Eli N. Evans wrote in the 1973 book The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South that Newman is "highly oriented to college admission."[3] The school is a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest and the National Association of Independent Schools. The school also offers four foreign languages, including Honors and/or AP classes in each language: French I-VII, Spanish I-VII, and Chinese I-IV. In order to be on the honor roll, students must maintain a 3.67 GPA. This includes a one GPA point addition for both honors and AP courses.

Jeré Longman of The New York Times described Isidore Newman as "one of Louisiana’s elite private schools."[4]

Enrollment

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Newman has a student body of 1,055 and a faculty of 208, with an average class size of 15 students per class. Newman has 434 students in its lower school, 253 in its middle school, and 368 in its upper school. About 40% of the students were Jewish in 2005, and there was social distance between Jewish and non-Jewish students that began with private dances held by non-Jewish students.[9]

Athletics

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Newman's athletic teams compete in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association. The school fields teams on a number of sports, including baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and volleyball. Newman has held 113 State Championships as of December 2023. The largest building on campus is the Cotonio Palaestra.

Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning attended the high school, leading their football team to a 34–5 record during his three seasons as its starter. He was named Gatorade Circle of Champions National Player-of-the-Year and Columbus (Ohio) Touchdown Club National Offensive Player-of-the-Year in 1993.[10] While at Newman, he began wearing the #18 jersey in honor of his older brother Cooper, who was forced to give up football due to spinal stenosis. Younger brother Eli also wore the number when he became starting quarterback. Newman has since retired the #18 jersey and it can be seen hanging in the school gym.[11] Peyton was among the most sought after high school players in the country and was recruited by 60 colleges.[12] Cooper's son Arch, the most recent Newman quarterback, was touted as one of the top players in the college recruiting class of 2023 before committing to Texas.[13]

Jeremy Bleich, later selected in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft by the New York Yankees, played baseball for the school, graduating in 2005. In high school by his junior year he had what author Michael Lewis described as "a decent fastball, great command, a big-league change-up and charm to burn," and had over 40 colleges recruiting him.[14] Bleich was named a 2005 first-team All-American by Collegiate Baseball (Louisville Slugger), a third-team All American by Baseball America, and the 2005 All-Metro Player of the Year.[15] He was named All-State in Louisiana twice, was the 2004 and 2005 District Most Valuable Player, and in 2003-2005 was named a three-time All-District, All-Metro, and All-Orleans teams player.[15]

In May 2010, ESPN.com ranked Newman at the top of a survey of which high schools produce the best NFL players — even though the school had at the time only produced three NFL players: Omar Douglas and the Manning brothers.[16] NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. graduated from Newman in 2011.[17]

Notable alumni

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References

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  1. ^ "Isidore Newman School Archives". OCLC.
  2. ^ "NOLA History: 6 New Orleans Schools of Historic Interest". GoNOLA.com. September 8, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  3. ^ a b Evans, Eli N. (2005). The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South. University of North Carolina Press. p. 211. ISBN 0807876348.
  4. ^ a b c Longman, Jeré (October 24, 2006). "Homecoming Is a Victory, by Any Definition". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  5. ^ "ISIDORE NEWMAN SCHOOL vs. J. EVERETT EAVES, INC. AND WESTPORT INSURANCE CORPORATION" (PDF). Louisiana Supreme Court. July 6, 2010.
  6. ^ writers, ANDREA GALLO and RAMON ANTONIO VARGAS | Staff. "Isidore Newman School is the subject of a sealed lawsuit after grad's sexual assault claims". NOLA.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  7. ^ writer, ANDREA GALLO | Staff. "The Times-Picayune OK'd to intervene in long-sealed lawsuit against Isidore Newman School". NOLA.com. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  8. ^ "Isidore Newman School ~ Newman at a Glance". www.newmanschool.org. Retrieved October 3, 2016.
  9. ^ Evans, Eli N. (1997). The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 211–212. ISBN 0807876348.
  10. ^ "MANNING AT A GLANCE" (PDF). Denver Broncos. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2014. Retrieved January 20, 2014.
  11. ^ a b c Winkeljohn, Matt (May 11, 2010). "Manning brothers lift Isidore Newman". ESPN.
  12. ^ Bradley, John Ed (November 15, 1993). "Like Father, Like Son". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Cobb, David (August 19, 2020). "Arch Manning, nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning, rates as top QB in first rankings for class of 2023". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  14. ^ Lewis, Michael (March 28, 2004). "Coach Fitz's Management Theory". The New York Times.
  15. ^ a b "Player Bio: Jeremy Bleich". GoStanford.com.
  16. ^ Winkeljohn, Matt (May 11, 2010). "Manning brothers lift Isidore Newman". ESPN.
  17. ^ Hibbert, R. (February 2, 2011). "Newman Senior Odell Beckham Signs with Louisiana State University". Isidore Newman School. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  18. ^ "Bryan Batt '81 Named Recipient of 2009 Distinguished Alumnus Award". Newman School. March 3, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  19. ^ "Jeremy Bleich, '05: Pitching with the Pros". Isidore Newman School. September 30, 2009. Retrieved December 23, 2017.
  20. ^ "His time: New Orleans actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. is making waves (and 'Waves') in Hollywood". Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  21. ^ a b "The man who won Steve Jobs' trust". CNN Business. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  22. ^ "Newman Distinguished Alumna 2013: Leslie Rosenthal Jacobs '77". Newman School. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  23. ^ Gatorade National Player of the Year#Basketball
  24. ^ "John Lovell, Jr & John Lovell, III 2006-2007". NASBA Center for the Public Trust. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  25. ^ "Eli Manning had Super sense of future while still in high school". New York Daily News. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  26. ^ "Peyton Manning". databaseFootball.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  27. ^ "Newman News". Newman School. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  28. ^ "Walda Barnett Besthoff '54 and Sydney J. Besthoff III '45, Mark J. Plotkin '73". Isidore Newman School. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  29. ^ "VJ Books presents Christopher Rice!". VJ Books. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  30. ^ Parker, Nancy. "Local musician turns 'different' into success". Fox 8 Live. Frankly Media and Raycom Media. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  31. ^ "Claude "Little Monk" Simons". Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  32. ^ "Bruce Spizer". beatle.net. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  33. ^ "Publishing Success is Child's Play for Mo Willems '86". Newman School. September 30, 2009. Retrieved April 8, 2013.
  34. ^ "Newman Annual Report 2007-2008". NewmanSchool.org. Retrieved April 8, 2013.

Further reading

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  • Konigsmark, Anne Rochell. Isidore Newman School: One Hundred Years, 2004 (ISBN 0-9747959-0-9).
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