Known as one of WMU’s greatest basketball players and student athletes, Dr. Emanuel “Manny” Newsome (B.S.'64; M.S'64, PhysicalEducation) will be honored before the Saturday, January 27 WMU basketball game against Northern Illinois at an indoor tailgate on WMU’s campus. He will also be recognized during a special halftime ceremony in which his #5 Jersey will be formally retired.
Newsome, a basketball legend from Roosevelt High School in Gary, Indiana, later became the first African American administrator at WMU and led a storied career in higher education in Indiana, Ohio and Florida.
As a player at WMU from 1960-64, Newsome averaged 32.7 points per game as a 3-year varsity player. Newsome finished his career at WMU with 1,787 points, breaking the scoring record by over 500 points in 1964 and holding it there for more than 45 years. During his senior year, Newsome was the “leading scorer” in the nation.
Some of Newsome’s achievements include being selected First Team “All Mid American Conference” during his sophomore, junior and senior years; being chosen as a member of the “All America” Basketball Team in 1963-64 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches; and being a part of the U.S. Olympic Trials Basketball Team in 1964. Newsome was inducted into the WMU Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974, the MAC Basketball Hall of Fame in 1988, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994.
After receiving both of his WMU degrees, Newsome began his professional career in the Office of Financial Aid as a Financial Aid Counselor and Field Representative. He then served as the Director of the State Talent Search Program for the State Scholarship Commission in Indianapolis. He later served as Assistant Dean of Students at Indiana State University and went on to earn his Ph.D. in Counseling & Psychological Services in Higher Education from ISU in 1976. Newsome completed Post Doctoral Studies at Harvard University and received a certificate in Management and Development in Higher Education. He served as Dean of Students at the University of Toledo, and Vice President of Student Affairs at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton from 1988-2006. Newsome resides in Boca Raton with his wife Nellie, who also attended WMU.
Members of the community are invited to celebrate Newsome’s basketball career from noon to 2 p.m. at the Stampede Tailgate, and to attend the game at 2 p.m. Pre-registration is required for the tailgate, and details, along with early-bird pricing and game ticket information, can be found at MyWMU.com/BBStampede. Game tickets may be purchased from the WMU Ticket Office by calling 1-888-4-WMU-TIX.