James D. Newton (1905-1999) was a prominent twentieth-century entrepreneur and author of Uncommon Friends: Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel, and Charles Lindbergh, which recounts his friendship with these visionary figures. The Uncommon Friends exhibit follows Newton, a twenty-year-old real estate developer, whose fated encounter with Mina Edison over an unrobed Grecian goddess would alter the course of his life. His friendships with the likes of Edison, Ford, and Firestone would propel his career, deepen his religious values, and encourage his involvement with the Moral Re-Armament (MRA) movement where he would meet his future wife, Ellie. A decade later, Newton would seek out Nobel Prize-winning scientist Alexis Carrel after reading his 1935 philosophical book, Man the Unknown. A subsequent summer spent at Carrel’s home in France would bond Newton and Lindbergh together.
While serving in the United States Army during World War II, Jim and Ellie were wed. Lindbergh served as Jim’s best man and a life-long friendship between the two couples was formed. Jim and Ellie’s mutual religious and political ideologies would serve as a foundation in their marriage. The Newtons would continue to develop the community of Fort Myers and maintain international relationships with fellow members of the MRA, hosting many visiting members at their cottage on Fort Myers Beach.
The Uncommon Friends Foundation, established in 1993 and named after Newton's memoir, is dedicated to lifelong character building among today's youth and business leaders, and the historic preservation of the James D. Newton Collection. The Florida Gulf Coast University Chair of Business Ethics is made possible by an endowment from the Foundation in Jim Newton’s name. In 2012, the Uncommon Friends Foundation and Florida Gulf Coast University Library partnered to digitally preserve and provide public access to this captivating collection.
“The best is yet to be!” — Jim Newton
