Dr. Don Newbury of Burleson, Texas was once known as the nation's "unstuffiest" college president - doing for higher education what Dr. Patch Adams does for medicine. The retired president of Howard Payne University and author of When the Porch Lights On, and several other books, still finds the funny stuff in life and shares it with others. Newbury has spoken more than 5,300 times across the United States and has traveled more than a million highway miles to make speeches over the past 45 years. Also, his newspaper column, The Idle American, appears in 125 newspapers in six states. Paul Harvey has picked up on what Newbury has written several times for his radio show. Born in 1937 near May, to Thomas J. and Temple Gotcher Newbury, Don spent his early childhood in Blanket, Texas and Salt Creek. He rode a school bus to Early, where he attended all 12 years. His memories of trips into nearby Brownwood revealed much about the areas economy and war-time atmosphere. When I was 5, I had a horror of getting lost in the big crowded city, Don states. Youngsters today can't believe that in those days there were eight theaters in downtown Brownwood. When World War II broke out, the army's Camp Bowie, located a couple of miles from Brownwood, became a military center, doubling the county's population. Most of the soldiers lived in tents, but when they had a pass, or even a few hours off, they went to the picture show. I remember holding onto my folks hands for dear life, because soldiers were everywhere. Newbury recalled that a movie at most of the theaters cost 9 cents for a child under 12 back then. I think I was under 12 until I was well into my thirteenth year, perfecting, as did my friends, the rehearsed art of slouching down in front of the cashiers booth, meekly asking for a child's admission. One Saturday, the carnival came to town, and I had to be short and tall on the same day. I was short when admitted to the movie but stood on tip-toe at the sign where they made sure you were tall enough to ride on the carnivals bumper cars. Newburys love of writing first surfaced in seventh grade at Early, when he and classmate Jim McClary co-edited a school newspaper. Amidst the news, in purple print from the schools fluid duplicator, were the upcoming sports events and the scores of games already played. My dad had been good in baseball and probably wanted me to be a good athlete, too, Newbury said. But I just was not good at it. That did noy keep me from being active in sports in other ways. By the time Newbury was in high school, he gave telephonic reports on all of Early, Texas sporting events over the radio and officiated scrimmages. After high school graduation, while a student at Howard Payne University, he officiated basketball games and served as sports information director, earning full tuition his last two years. I had a radio show every weekday afternoon called Sports Call. I officiated basketball games in the evenings and broadcast football play-by-plays on Friday nights for the Brownwood High School games. Then, I did the same thing for Howard Paynes games on Saturday afternoon. I remember once I drove 90 miles over ice to Breckenridge to broadcast a basketball game. For three hours, I did the whole thing even changed my voice for the commercials. I was totally exhausted. I came home and found out the equipment wasnt plugged in right, and nobody had heard a word I'd said. Don Newbury loved Howard Payne. He majored in journalism, business and secondary education, then went to work for the college after graduation. It was 1961, he said. I taught journalism, sponsored the annual and the campus newspaper and assisted with sports and general information. I remember that my salary was $3,000 that first year, less than I had made my final year in college with all the jobs I had for I had also been a stringer for several area newspapers that brought in more money. I was also sports information director for the Lone Star Athletic Conference, keeping statistics, a ton of work for eight different colleges for an extra $100 a month. I kept that role for six years. During the summers, Newbury edited a weekly newspaper, the Brown County Gazette, in Bangs, Texas. He was so inspired by its owner, Forrest Kyle, that he wrote his masters thesis on his life. (Newbury received a Master of Journalism degree from the University of Texas in 1966.) Forrests emphasis was always, "Give em plenty of good news", Newbury said. A political heavyweight in Austin and Washington, he befriended all who came through his door. To him, a check was a promise to pay not a promise that there were sufficient funds to cover it. Back then, little ladies would bring in pages from their Big Chief tablets, written in smudged pencil, telling what they or their friends had done that week. I had to be sure to spell it right and put that last line in there: "A good time was had by all". In 1963, Newbury left Brownwood and his parents home for a teaching job with Sul Ross State University in Alpine. He smiled and said, I had more titles than salary. I was a journalism instructor and director of college information. I kept my LSAC sports information directors job and continued to do some sports broadcasting. His third year there, Newburys interests took a turn when Brenda Pack entered his classroom as one of his journalism students. He said, She was the prettiest, most poised and delightful student I ever saw. I decided she would be perfect for my younger brother, and I started trying to think of ways I might arrange a meeting. One day in her presence somebody said,; "Hey, Don, why dont you see if Brenda would go out with you?" I gave a stock response, I would if I were just 10 years younger! One day during such a scenario, Brenda shot back, If you were 10 years younger, you might be too young. I thought about what she had said. I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat. I was Alpines Chamber of Commerce president, and Brenda's dad was on its board of directors. I didn't know how he would feel about my dating Brenda. I was almost 10 years older than she. He thought it would be fine, but he didn't know if she would go out with me. I called her, and she agreed to go to Odessa with me the following Saturday where I would be covering the West Texas Relays. After the meet, we could have a nice dinner before driving the 140 miles back to Alpine. The evening did not turn out exactly as planned. My car broke down, and we caught a ride on the back of a pick-up truck to Fort Stockton, where I borrowed a car from a friend. We arrived back in Alpine around 5 p.m. I was sure her folks would be frantic. What good luck! We woke them up! After our first date, there were few days that we did not see each other. The late Groner Pitts of Brownwood was Newbury's best man when he and Brenda were married in 1966. Newbury later spoke at Pitts funeral. Pitts, a Cleburne, Texas native, was a well-known funeral director and member of the legendary Brownwood Mafia which included Newbury. Mike Cochran of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote about Newburys book, saying that the Mafia was dedicated, if not obsessed, with bringing attention to Brownwood, and its been said that no city in Texas ever had a merrier band of mayhem makers inspiring pride in their hometown. When the Newbury family moved to Fort Worth in 1967, after he was named public relations director for Tarrant County Junior College, Pitts pulled a top-notch practical joke on his friend. I was appalled at how expensive snow cones were at a neighborhood stand there in South Fort Worth, Newbury said. I found a machine for our three girls and other neighborhood children. Most summer afternoons after work, I would chip up ice and grind snow for the cones. Kids heard the noise and came running for the treat. Usually, a dozen or so kids showed up. Well, Brownwood's merry mortician, Groner Pitts my lifelong friend heard about the snow cone operation. On a hot July afternoon, Groner paid for 4,000 pounds of ice to be delivered to our driveway. It was our daughter Julie's birthday, and we had planned to give away snow cones at the party. Come party time, there were about 15 kids at our house, and all wanted snow cones. But so did neighborhood kids. I'd never seen so many before dark, the number claiming free cones had reached 250, and the line of kids waiting seemed endless. A telephone call from Pitts verified that he, indeed, had sent the ice. Then, sheepishly he added that he had put up a few signs offering Free snow cones tonight. We knew that the signs were no doubt still out, and if they were read the next day, the crowds would come again! Newbury said. They drove throughout their neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods, collecting 100 yard signs that Pitts had paid teenagers to place in yards. Newbury received his doctorate at the University of North Texas in 1973. He and his brother, Fred, received their doctorates the same night. In 1981, Newbury moved his family to Snyder and Western Texas College, where he served as president. In When the Porch Lights On, Newbury wrote, There were lots of times when I didn't know what to do in that first presidency. But, hey, I was president, and most people thought I did! He and Brenda wanted to be encouragers. On the weekends, when most students went home, the basketball players most of whom were from out of state with no transportation were guests of the Newburys for homemade dinner every Sunday evening. That was a ton of work for Brenda, but the players loved the arrangement, and our family spent many pleasant hours with them, Newbury said. In 1986, they came home to Brownwood. Returning to the Howard Payne campus as its 16th president, Newbury was about to face his biggest challenge. He had been born and raised in Brown County. HPU was the first higher education institution he had ever known. He had attended football and basketball games there when he was in junior high and high school, and held a triple-major degree from the university. He had been on the full-time staff there for two years and had served on the university's board of trustees for eight years. He had been an Alumnus of the Year. He knew the place well. But he had been off the board a year. Enrollment had dwindled from a high of 1,500 to 700, and the morale was at low ebb. For almost two years the Newbury's lived in rental homes away from the campus. They were eager to be on campus and were thrilled when a beautiful home at 701 Center, built in 1901 and listed in both state and national historic registries, became the presidents home. The third floor, originally a ballroom, became a game room for students. I had been given a popcorn machine by Dr. Veda Hodge, who owned a chain of movie theaters in West Texas, Newbury said. We had served popcorn to the students when we were in Snyder. Soon, I was taking long plastic bags of popcorn to my speeches. But it was at Howard Payne that it really became popular on the back porch of the presidents home. Many nights I popped several batches of corn, turning on the balcony light in front of the house. This meant popcorn was available, and students could come and get it, going straight to the back porch to fill their own bags. His book has many accounts of how his presidential bags of popcorn served as a method to get to know students. In the warmer months, snow cones were cranked out. From 1986 through 1997, the Newbury's hosted an average of six receptions a year in their home, with attendance of 200-500 on each occasion. During his final years at HPU he operated a parasail boat for students, both current and prospective. The student enrollment grew 100 each year for his first seven years, peaking again at more than 1,400 during his tenure. When Don came to HPU as its president, the school really needed someone to bring it back. He was a top-notch motivator and administrator. When he was a student there, he had that same drive. He was so busy, but he had time for everybody. Newbury was named chancellor of Howard Payne University in 1997. But health issues intervened. After undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery in 1998, he retired in 2000. The Newbury's are active members of the First Baptist Church of Burleson. Their three daughters, all HPU alumni and educators, are Julie Choate of Burleson, Jana Penney of Tyler and Jeanie McDaniel of Burleson. They are expecting their sixth grandchild. The late George Dolan, columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote, Newbury is a master of humor, timing, inspiration and propriety. But no matter how hilarious his talks, he leaves his audiences remarkably enriched a rare and important talent. Now Newbury continues to share freshly popped corn with those attending his more than 100 speaking engagements per year. (He buys the corn in 50-pound sacks to date, he has popped 23 tons of it.) I thought again about the popcorn on the back porch when the light was on. How could something so simple be so successful?