Salt Lake Tribune | 2000-01-23 | Page 63

one Tales The Salt Lake Tribune :. U TAH LI V ING BRSVP. F-2 @ ANN LANDERS, F-4 @ VOLUNTEER CORNER, F-4 1 GARDENING,F-5 F "CLASSIFIED @ PET OFTHE WEEK. F-8 Z FZ SUNBAY 2 CLASSIFIED TAKE A BOW. F-8 Zz JANUARY 23, 2000 PROFILES BY DAN EGAN Newell Makes Big Impact on Tiny College Universityof Utah Professor Emeritus L, Jackson Newell took early retirement from the state’s flagship public university more than a yearago,butheis far from retired. The61-year-old education professoris as busyasever, serving as president of California’s Deep Springs College, a prestigious all-male schooland ranch north of Death Valley. Hesaid heleft the U. because tiny Deep Springs offered a bigger challenge. “Whenyou get to be about 60, you ei- Vet offers advice, anecdotes in new book ther recommit to something that is ‘really big or important to you, or Y JUDY MAGID 2 SALT LAKE TRIBUNE you tend to wind down,”says the U,’s former dean Mrs. MacFrugal spared no expensefor the medical care of her beloved pets, but when 15-year-old Jock the Chihuahua died, her thrifty nature balked=at tossing his dog food. Shefed it to her agingcat. “Mrs. Mac was in tears when she brought her cat, Monet, to the clinic to be put to sleep,” veterinarian Laura Pasten said in a telephone interview from her California office. The smallanimal veterinarian, whose famouspatients include Morris the 9-Lives cat, knew that Monet was her human companion’s dearest friend. of liberal educa- tion. “Winding |downisn’t in my genes.” Aside from thedaily chores ‘required to over- see a ranch, New{ell is in charge of L. Jackson Newell {educating 25 gifted students culled from oneof the most competitive application pools in America. Established 82 years ago by former ‘Utah residentandelectric-power magnate L.L. Nunn, Deep Springs operates on the whilosophythat isolation and hard physi- aalabor create an intense academic atmoere. ‘= Studentspay notuition for their two “Suddenly blind, Monet hadlost in- (earsof study. Whennot studying, they terest in grooming herself or tracking downherlitter box. While manyblind cats manage well, Monet bumped into things, runthe ranch, helpset the curriculum and cook the meals. They also operate the school’s bookstore and postoffice. could notfind her food, and meowed tobe Graduatestransfer to some of the coun- carried,” Pasten recalled. try’s most prestigious four-year colleges. Newell says he took the job because the Deep Springs philosophy works. He should know.TheOhio native is a Deep Springs alumnus. ~~ Heserved as temporary presidentfor On a hunch,the veterinarian asked about Jock’s dog food. “The cat had developed a deficiency of an amino acid called taurine, added to goodquality cat food, but not to dog food because dogs do not need it. Lack of taurine often results in blindness. Since Monet had been onthediet less than three months, there fire years in the '90s before returning to the U.briefly in 1998. He returned to Deep Springs about a year ago and agreedto be- a comeits first permanentpresidentin two decades. was a good chance that the condition was reversible.” The story had a happy ending, as‘do Oneofhis biggest motivations was the manyof the anecdotes in Pasten’s book, factthe schoolwas in financialtrouble. Newell said an $18 million fund-raising The Tarantula Whisperer (Conari Press, $11.95). With holidaygift puppies,kitties five is roaring along, and the school should meetthat goal by year’s end. and other huggables in many houses, a little commonsense mixed with humor is welcome. Pasten offers advice as well as Once DeepSpringsis on stable finan‘cial ground, the next challengeisto settle a persistent debate about whetherto admit women.It is a rancorousissue that Split alumnias well as the school’s board of trustees — until membersrealized millionsof dollars needed to be raised or stories. For instance, she freely acknowl edges taking a backseat to her most famous patient, the first Morris, who was featuted in commercials for 9-Lives cat food Si the "80: “No. matter what I was saying or to whoin when Morris came into the room, people left there would beno futureto fight about. “Weeither hadto do the work together, Or watchit sink,” he says. Sean Noyce / The Salt Lake Tribune Oncethat is complete, Newell hopes to open Deep Springs’ new doors to women. www. -mansell See TARANTULA WHISPERER,PageF-8 (el et MANSELL THE TRUSTED NAME IN REAL ESTAT GEMPELER Salt Lake TRLLT A LUD tie ase A ACS ic Draper (801) 571 RL Farmington 5 i r abe) Eye Ina Orem [phone] er eRe TE) Price [phone] SeCeO GLE 1000 St. George (435) 6 Tooele (435) 882 LLOYD Union Park aC TeeHU meee SAM CLAD Rs Relocation [phone]