Irving George Newman

Irving Newman was the eighth child and sixth son in the Newman family. He was famously bad tempered and carried the nickname "stinky" (or the yiddish equivalent) in the family (you'll have to ask Sydelle why!). Often his older sister Tibby was the one who got him out of trouble in school.

He was devoted to his mother and his siblings. He was especially close to his brothers, and most especially to Lionel.

He grew up wanting to be a musician like his older brothers--he wrote songs (both music and lyrics) initially with Lionel, and eventually on his own. He sang and played clarinet in Lionel's band when they were both teenagers and toured the Caribbean on a cruise ship. Fearing that he was not talented enough, and realizing that he did very well in school, Al and Nana decided that he should complete his education and become a physician. Dutifully he acceded to their wishes, though he never gave songwriting. He majored in English in college and also loved writing both poetry (eg lyrics) and fiction. Because it was difficult for Jews to gain admittance to med schools in the 1930's, he transferred from NYU to U Alabama, which guaranteed admission to their brand new med school if students spent their senior year in Tuscaloosa. Unfortunately, after his first year of Med School, the Dean called him a "Hebe", and Irving slugged him. He was expelled from school and blackballed from other medical schools. Uncle Bob, no stranger to corrupt (Democratic) politicians all over the US, prevailed on the Governor of Louisiana to appoint Irving to medical school at LSU. The faculty there made it very tough for him, attempting to "flunk him out" but he finished second in his class.

A friend in Med school was a boarder at the home of Rose Fuchs in New Orleans, and bet Irving that he couldnt get a date with the beautiful and popular Adele Fuchs. Though he had never seen her, he called and was consistently refused a date. Later, by accident, they met at a Ball at the Roosevelt Hotel, and only later realized their previous connection. After he graduated, He brought Adele to Los Angeles. Because of his mother's disapproval, they were secretly married for almost a year. He had to live in the hospital as an intern, and she had her own apartment.

In 1943, when Adele was pregnant with Randy, he went overseas as a flight surgeon in the North African and Italian campaigns, returning late in 1945. Randy spent the first 1-2 years of his life in New Orleans until Irving's return.

In the late 40's Irving went into practice in Beverly Hills. He retired in 1970s.

From Rob Newman: Uncle Doc was always my hero. As most of the family knows, my dad had a hard time letting me grow up. Whenever things would get particurly hard around the house, I'd talk the two block up to "Uncle Doc's House," where Delly would feed me Mallomars and Doc would say "Your DAD is FULL OF SHIT. You're OK. Don't pay any attention to him" That's all I needed to hear and I could go home and deal with my dad again.

But the thing I always remember about Doc was that he'd claim he'd get in fights with everyone. One day I remember him telling me about getting into a parking lot fight with Nancy Reagan at the Brentwood Country Mart and them calling each other every cuss word in the language. Another day I remember him telling me how he went to Hamburger Hamlet and some guy....in the restroom....called him a "no good Jew" and Doc "punched him out." To this day, I can't figure out how anyone could go into the restroom at Hamburger Hamlet in Brentwood and get called a "no good Jew....." It could only happen to Uncle Doc!

FROM CARROLL: Here's my "Doc-In-A-Fight" Story. My dad told us and then Doc confirmed the story.... that Doc punched out a nun. The story goes like this.... Irving had a patient - an adult young man, that was in St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica. Evidently he was dying and Irving asked that the mother be called to come to see her son. Supposedly, when the mother got there she was beside herself with grief and was crying and one of the nuns said: "We don't want any hysterical Jewish mothers in the hospital" and with that Irving punched out the nun. And Irving lost his privileges at St. John's after that. I do know for a fact that he could not come to St. John's because when my sister, Deborah, had her baby, Sarah, Deborah became quite ill and was taken to ICU and when we called Doc, he couldn't come to see Deborah because he was banned and had to call another doctor to attend to her.

Interesting, all the fights and always about being a "Jew". Dad said that Irving "defended" him many times when they were kids and young adults. I'm sure there is truth in all these stories....just told from Doc's p.o.v. We always LOVED Doc's stories!!! xo