In Memory
Gwill L. Newman
1932-2010Brain Research Foundation mourns the loss of its first female President and Chairman, Gwill L. Newman. She died August 30 in New Mexico after an extended illness.
”Gwill’s enthusiasm for research that would expand the understanding of the brain was remarkable,” said Terre Sharma, Executive Director of the Brain Research Foundation. “She was confident that supporting research would provide the answers that would eventually help those suffering from neurological disorders.”
A Cleveland native, Ms. Newman moved to Chicago soon after her son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the late 1970s. Her passion for advancing science led her to the Brain Research Foundation where she became the first female President and later Chair of the Board. As a staunch advocate for the mentally ill, she helped found the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression in 1981. Interviewed for a profile in North Shore magazine in 1993, Ms. Newman said of her advocacy, “It is possible to do something besides feel dreadful, hopeless and helpless, which you’re bound to feel anyway. And I have to say, nothing is more fascinating than understanding the human brain and how it works.”
In 2006, Ms. Newman completed a book about her experience as the parent of a mentally ill child entitled “My Son’s Name Was Fred”. She dedicated the book to those who have suffered from the darkness of ignorance concerning the human brain and to those who strive to enlighten us all by challenging the human brain to understand itself.
“While we are saddened by Gwill’s death, our Board is also inspired by remembering her dedication to increasing awareness about brain disorders and raising funds for research,” said John M. McDonough, who succeeded Ms. Newman as chairman in 2000. “She had tremendous warmth of personality and an ability to communicate easily on serious medical issues and concerns with people from all walks of life and differing financial conditions. The Brain Research Foundation has been significantly strengthened by her years of service.”