A Lesson fom Paul Newman

The well-liked actor, Paul Newman, died last Friday of cancer. Many probably did not know he was sick since he had kept his illness secret until recently. He had a good long life, made some of the memorable movies of our generation and worked very hard in his latter years giving back and helping people with his charitable works. His line of foods bearing his grinning face is said to have contributed more than $250 million dollars to various causes, among them his beloved Hole in the Wall Camps for kinds with life-threatening illness.

This morning’s Wall Street Journal carries a tribute to this part of Newman’s legacy. It is written by two men with years of experience on Wall Street. It appears these gentlemen learned something from Newman’s example that they did not learn from many other fellow Wall Street executives–compassion for the poor.

Here is a quote that seems to sum up Newman’s approach with charity:

In 2000, Paul addressed a group of students at a U.C. Berkleley conference on philanthropy and articulated his motivation behind giving by saying “it seems so human to hold your hand out to people less fortunate than you are.”

I think that is a good way to remember an actor who levereaged his fame and success into something that did good things for others in need. It is the best of the human spirit. From whom much is given much is expected.