Terry D. Newfarmer, ABC
Founder, International Association of Business Communicators Utah Chapter
1944-1999
Terry D. Newfarmer was the consummate communicator always innovating and improving the communication profession. A busy man with many interests and a lively family, he still made time to bring the International Association of Business Communicators to Utah by forming the Utah Chapter, serving as president of the chapter in 1981, authoring a piece for IABC’s Communication World magazine, and winning many Golden Spike awards for his stellar work both as a writer and photographer. His communication was honest, concise, respectful of the audience, and accurate. A year prior to his death in 1999, the Utah chapter presented him with an award for his outstanding commitment to IABC.
An uncommonly talented communicator, Terry’s career included a stint as a Salt Lake Tribune police beat reporter working graveyard shift and 25 years at the University of Utah where he created and launched major employee communication initiatives and publications, shot and cataloged 10,000 roles of film, and produced the photos that were seen in university publications and sent with press releases around the world.
Terry’s broad ranging interests were keys to his success as a communicator. He held three bachelors degrees from the University of Utah in journalism, anthropology, and political science. He was a Vietnam veteran having served as a platoon leader of an aircraft electronics shop who learned to play guitar to pass the off-hours. Back in Utah, he played guitar for the No Name Band, rode motorcycles, and was an active Mountain Man. He was an award-winning tomahawk thrower and talented at designing and making leather moccasins and other beaded pieces using the brain tanning process. Terry had a way of making everyone feel like an instant member of the group—a talent that made him one of the most connected people on the university campus. He is cherished for his personality and his character.
Terry passed away unexpectedly on July 3, 1999 of heart failure at the age of 54 while camping in the high Uintas with his wife and friends. He had accomplished much in his career and personal life, plus touched and inspired thousands of people. He represents the best in a communication professional.
To share your story about Terry, send an email to Barb Shelley at shelleycomm@comcast.net. Stories will be edited for style, length, and content and placed on this website as a tribute to this remarkably talented communicator who set the standard for the communications field in Utah.