JAMES NEWCOMER

FORT WORTH -- James William Newcomer, vice chancellor emeritus for academic affairs, Texas Christian University, died peacefully Saturday evening, Aug. 25, 2012, during his 100th year. Memorial service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 2401 College Ave., with a reception to follow in Mitchell Hall. His cremated remains will be placed in the church's garth. Born March 14, 1912, in Gibsonburg, Ohio, James was the son of Rolland Truben Newcomer and Vera Mabel Ervin Newcomer. He graduated from Gibsonburg High School in 1928, where he was the quarterback of the football team and a cheerleader. He received the Ph.B. degree in English from Kenyon College in 1933 where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity and Phi Beta Kappa of which he was an active member for 79 years. Later he was instrumental in founding a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at TCU. He received the M.A. from the University of Michigan and the Ph.D. degree from the University of Iowa. During World War II, James served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant in Gen. Patton's 3rd Army. He fought through the battles of Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe. He participated in the liberation of Luxembourg and became a lifelong scholar of the history of that country, resulting in the first complete history of the country to be written in English, "The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg: The Evolution of Nationhood," for which he was awarded the Commander of the Order of Merit of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Before the war he was assistant head master at Elgin Academy where he met and later married Beulah Ruth Salisbury in Wheaton, Ill., on Aug. 17, 1946. James was dean of Hockaday Junior College and head of the English Department, 1946-1951, Dallas; dean of the College at Olivet College, Olivet, Mich., 1952-1960; dean of the Faculty and dean of the Graduate School at Texas Woman's University, Denton, 1960-1964; and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and director of the TCU Press, at Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, 1965-1982, where he also held the Trustees Chair of English. James enjoyed music and began playing violin at an early age, often playing with the TCU Symphony Orchestra. In high school and college he also played the saxophone and played in dance bands. He was instrumental in bringing the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition to TCU and Fort Worth. As a result, he became close friends with Lili Kraus and wrote about her in his book "Lili." Writing was a lifelong hobby and he wrote and published many volumes of poetry, essays and short stories as well as books on noted Irish novelists of the 18th century. He and Ruth traveled extensively and spent many months studying and researching for his writings in Ireland, England, and Luxembourg. He was a member of Christ's College Cambridge. He retired from TCU in 1987 as vice chancellor emeritus. At the party on the occasion of his 100th birthday, Mayor Betsy Price read a proclamation. His family expresses gratitude to the companions at Broadway Plaza. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Ruth; and brothers, Ervin and Ned. Survivors: In addition to his children, Jane Fuller and her husband, Frank, of Natchitoches, La., Rob Newcomer and his wife, Linda, of Ada, Okla., and Mary McKinney and her husband, Paul, of Fort Worth, James is survived by his grandsons, Philip Newcomer of Ada, Okla., Daniel Murphy and his wife, Sara, of Houston and Charles, Molly and Harriet McKinney, all of Fort Worth; and a niece and nephews and their families. Robertson Mueller Harper Funerals & Cremations 1500 Eighth Ave., 817-924-4233 To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of JAMES NEWCOMER please visit our Sympathy Store.