Lucy Thurston Blaisdell

Lucy Puniwai Thurston Blaisdell (August 16, 1903 – December 16, 1986 ) was the First Lady of Honolulu 1955–1969. She was by profession a teacher, who had a 36-year career in both Hawaii and New York.

Lucy Thurston Blaisdell
Neal and Lucy Blaisdell 1956
First Lady of Honolulu
In office
1955–1969
Preceded byMary Kamala Crewes Petrie
Succeeded byJoyce Fasi
Personal details
Born
Lucy Puniwai Thurston

(1903-08-16)August 16, 1903
Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii
DiedDecember 16, 1986(1986-12-16) (aged 83)
Honolulu, State of Hawaii
NationalityAmerican
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Neal Blaisdell
ChildrenVelma
Marilyn
MotherHelen Catherine Kahanuulani Meek
FatherCharles Henry Thurston
OccupationTeacher

Background

Helen Catherine Kahanuulani Meek and Charles Henry Thurston named their daughter Lucy Puniwai Thurston when she was born in Honolulu.[1] Lucy's mother was of Hawaiian ancestry and had been born in Hilo.[2] Her father, a descendant of American Revolutionary War soldier Robert Thurston, relocated from Nova Scotia in 1889 and a decade later married Helen.[3] In addition to Lucy, their children were Elizabeth, Clara and Paul J. Thurston, Director of the Budget for Hawaii.[4]

In Scranton, Pennsylvania on October 23, 1926, Lucy married fellow teacher Neal Shaw Blaisdell, a descendant of John Adams Cummins whose mother was High Chiefess Kaumakaokane Papaliʻaiʻaina.[5] The couple had known each other since childhood. Their daughter Velma was born in 1929, and Marilyn Puniwai was born in 1930.[6]

When Lucy's father died in 1928, he was Honolulu Fire Chief. His successor as fire chief was William Wallace Blaisdell, Lucy's father-in-law.[7]

Teaching career

Lucy received her basic education at the college preparatory Punahou School. Training to become a teacher, she attended Territorial Normal School. Later transferring to Colorado College, she was accepted into the Sigma Upsilon sorority and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1926.[8] She then matriculated at Columbia University in New York, where she earned her MA degree.[9]

Her first teaching job was in Rochester, New York, while Neal was the football coach at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania, but the Blaisdells became homesick for Hawaii.[6] In August 1927, they returned to Honolulu where Neal was on staff as athletic coach at President William McKinley High School, and Lucy taught at her old alma mater Territorial Normal School.[10]

In Honolulu, she was named supervisor over the 7th grade classes at Territorial Normal School in 1930. She returned to Rochester for the 1937–38 school year as an exchange social studies teacher.[11] During her career she also taught at the Honolulu schools of Washington Intermediate, Liliuokalani, Stevenson, President William McKinley High School, Kaimuki High School, Kaimuki Intermediate. She continued her teaching career after her husband was elected mayor, retiring in 1963 in order to spend more time with her family and friends, and to enjoy leisure activities.[12]

First Lady

Early on in their marriage, Lucy began documenting Neal's career in a scrapbook, and kept it up throughout his life. She helped him hone his oratory skills by acting as his test audience, and she also campaigned door-to-door on his behalf. An avid golfer herself who participated in women's tournaments, she and her husband golfed together when his time permitted.[13] As a political wife, she refused to make speeches, but acted as hostess at formal and casual gatherings. While she was still teaching, she would put in a full day at school and then make the rounds of evening social and political events with her husband.[14]

Neal referred to her as a "good partner", and when he traveled she accompanied him. On a five-week 1957 goodwill tour of the US mainland, in what she would later refer to as the best of her experiences in her role as mayoral wife,[12] Lucy christened the renaming of the SS Monterey to the SS Matsonia, and the couple sailed home on the ship.[1] As part of the couple's 1959 world tour, they participated in the Fifth Japanese-American Conference of Mayors and Chamber of Commerce Presidents. Lucy reported on their trip in The Honolulu Advertiser, commenting on the people and culture in post-World War II Osaka.[15]

During their stop in India, she commented in her newspaper reports that Hawaii's tourism industry might benefit by adapting a few ideas from India's tour guides. She suggested that Hawaii's tour guides incorporate the state's history into the narrative, specifically in downtown Honolulu where Rev. Abraham Akaka had made recordings that could be heard at Kawaiahao Church. One of the things she felt would be important to include on the tours would be information about royal burial rites.[16]

Later life and death

Neal Blaisdell died of a stroke in 1975.[17] Lucy died in 1986.[14] Both are interred at Oahu cemetery in a joint plot.

References
  1. One of the few times she was publicly mentioned by her full name of Lucy Puniwai Thurston Blaisdell "Mrs. Blaisdell Is Sponsor Of Matsonia". Daily Press – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . Newport News, VA. May 16, 1957. p. 3, col. 7. Retrieved January 19, 2018.; "Mainland Briefing On Hawaii Urged". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . July 17, 1957. p. 6. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  2. "Heart Attack Is Fatal to Mrs. C. H. Thurston". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . November 12, 1957. p. 5, col. 1. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  3. "Death Strikes Chief Thurston On Golf Links". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . February 19, 1928. p. 1. Retrieved January 19, 2018.; "(continued from page 1) Death Strikes Chief Thurston On Golf Links". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . February 19, 1928. p. 11. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  4. "Obituaries: Budget Director Paul Thurston Dies". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . August 11, 1961. p. 4, col. 6. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  5. Riánna Williams (1996). "John Adams Cummins: Prince of Entertainers". Hawaiian Journal of History. 30. Hawaii Historical Society. pp. 153–168. hdl:10524/403.
  6. "Blaisdells To Postpone Anniversary Celebration". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . October 21, 1956. p. 30. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  7. "Blaisdell Named Chief". Honolulu Star-Bulletin – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . February 25, 1928. p. 12. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  8. "Honolulu Girl Popular Student At Colorado Teachers' College". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . March 5, 1925. p. 12, col. 5. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  9. "Will Lead Grand March". Honolulu Star-Bulletin – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . June 30, 1926. p. 26. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  10. "Athletic Coach Here With Bride; Both Island-Born". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . August 12, 1927. p. 5, col. 4. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  11. "Isle Teacher In New York". Honolulu Star-Bulletin – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . September 18, 1937. p. 35. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  12. Cooke, Mary (May 19, 1963). "Last School Bell To Ring For Mayor's Wife". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . p. D2. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  13. "Mahalo To Teachers". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . November 6, 1959. p. 32. Retrieved January 19, 2018.; "What It's Like To Live With A Mayor". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . June 12, 1963. p. 8. Retrieved January 19, 2018.; "Prepare For Oahu Country Club Women's Invitational tournament". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . July 17, 1955. p. 21. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  14. "Lucy Thurston Blaisdell dies at 83". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . December 18, 1986. p. 1. Retrieved December 21, 2017.; "from page one: Lucy Thurston Blaisdell dies at 83". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . December 18, 1986. p. 4. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  15. Blaisdell, Lucy Thurston (November 10, 1959). "Mayor's Wife Writes: Japanese Women Charming". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . p. 20. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  16. "On Global Tour: Mayor's Wife Gets New 'Boost-Hawaii' Ideas". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . November 25, 1959. p. 16. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  17. "Neal Blaisdell". The Honolulu Advertiser – via Newspapers.com (subscription required) . November 6, 1975. p. 13. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
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