[1] He served a mission for the LDS Church in France and Belgium, afterwards studying international relations and political science at Brigham Young University (BYU).

[2] He worked as a planning analyst for an insurance company 1975-1975, and then as a coordinator of evaluation in the language department at the missionary training center from 1977 to 1978.

He served in the White House as a special assistant to the president and director of presidential appointments under Ronald Reagan in 1981–1982.

Newell criticized UNESCO, stating that they spent eighty percent of its funds on administration.

"[9] Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy praised Newell's withdrawal from UNESCO "as a result of serious problems that plagued that agency administratively and politically.

[14] They reside in Utah, where Candilyn is the career director of life sciences and teaches a class on professional etiquette at BYU.