William Newman graduated in 1947 from Baruch College with a BBA and received an honorary doctorate from the college in 1997. Mr. Newman’s support for Baruch has been extensive and includes funding the Steven L. Newman Real Estate Institute, providing key support for the reconstruction of the College's library, and, in 2005, presenting Baruch with a record-breaking gift of $25 million. A real estate legend, Mr. Newman is the founder and chairman of New Plan Excel Realty Trust, Inc., one of the nation's largest real estate companies, which focuses on the ownership, management, acquisition, development and redevelopment of community and neighborhood shopping centers. The company operates as a self-administered and self-managed REIT, with a national portfolio of more than 400 properties and total assets of approximately $4 billion.

Marking his prominence in the real estate industry, William Newman has received the Wall Street Transcript's gold, silver, and bronze medals for national leadership in the real estate industry, and Ernst & Young's Real Estate Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 1998. He is also the former chairman of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, a position he occupied from 1990 to 1992.

Mr. Newman's long-term support for Baruch College has allowed for the creation of the Newman Real Estate programs at the college. Included in these curricula is a BS in real estate within the School of Public Affairs that has now merged to become part of the new BBA in real estate at the Zicklin School of Business. There are also extensive master's level courses in the School of Public Affairs and the Zicklin School. In addition, the William and Anita Newman Library was named the best college library in the nation for 2003 by the academic arm of the American Library Association.