Dr. Adam Zachary Newton was officially invested as the Ronald P. Stanton Professor of Literature and the Humanities on Dec. 16. Newton was honored at the dedication ceremony of 245 Lexington Avenue, Stern College for Women’s signature building on the Beren Campus, as Ronald P. Stanton Hall.


The appointment recognized Newton’s outstanding contributions in both teaching and scholarship since he joined the University in fall 2007 from the University of Texas at Austin, where he was the youngest professor appointed to an endowed chair. He created and was acting director of the Jewish Studies Program at UT Austin.

He spoke about his reasons for coming to YU in his investiture speech. As a Harvard University doctoral graduate with research interests including 20th-century American literature, popular culture and Jewish studies, he was attracted to YU’s mission of Torah Umadda—“the rapprochement it proclaims between dual worlds of discourse, a bridge between two intellectual traditions. Torah Umadda isn’t just a framework; aspirationally speaking, it’s a cultivated spirit,” said Newton, who chairs the English department at Yeshiva College.

“To Ronald P. Stanton for the gold-standard of a name and reputation that identify the chair that now identifies me, let me express simple pride for an exceptional honor,” said Newton, author of four books with major university presses over the past 10 years. “To Provost Lowengrub and President Joel and of course, Yeshiva University, whose stewards and standard-bearers they are, I need to register publicly how indebted I am that you have seen fit to recognize me in this way.”

Stanton, former Chairman of the YU Board of Trustees and chairman of Transammonia, Inc., gave the University $100 million in 2006, the largest single gift ever in North America in support of Jewish education and Jewish life. The longest serving member of the Board, Stanton chaired the University’s $400 million capital campaign that was launched in 2000, guiding it to its goal in just three years and establishing a $10 million capital fund.

Read more about the event here.

See a photo gallery of the dedication here.