Biographical Text
Associate Professor Emerita of Business Education and Office Administration Annie Mae Carroll Blackburn (May 18,1930-), was born in Boone, North Carolina, the daughter of Lucy and Lester Carroll. Blackburn attended Appalachian High School and graduated in 1947. Her high school activities included National Honor Society (three years), student council (three years), student body vice president, editor-in-chief of The Laurel (first school annual), school newspaper editor, basketball team (three years), and monitor (two years). Blackburn married Charles H. Blackburn, Jr., on March 4, 1951, and the couple have two children: Charles Chris (July 23, 1952-) and Katrina Ann (September 12, 1953-). They have five grandchildren: Stefani Paige Blackburn, Charles Dustin Blackburn, Sara Bethany Blackburn, Adam H. Mattox, and Arin Ann Mattox. From 1947 until 1951, Blackburn attended Appalachian State Teachers' College (now Appalachian State University), and received her B.S. degree is business education and physical education. While an undergraduate, she participated in the Flying Fish Club, the "A" Club, the Business Club, and the Women's Athletic Association. During and after her college years, Blackburn worked as manager of Buena Vista Apartments, as secretary and bookkeeper at Boone Livestock market (part-time for twenty years), as secretary at Boone Elementary School (for six months), and as secretary for the Alumni Association (part-time for three years). She also served as a chair for First Union National Bank. Blackburn's formal teaching career began in 1951, when she accepted a position teaching physical education and business education in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, at Wilkesboro Elementary School and at Wilkes Central High School. In 1952-53, she taught the same courses at Miller's Creek High School in Wilkes County. Blackburn received her first appointment to the faculty at Appalachian State Teachers' College as an instructor in the economics and business department in the fall of 1956. That year she also began post-graduate work at the college and received the M.A. degree in education (with a minor in business education) in 1958. Between 1960 and 1966, Blackburn earned an additional thirty hours of postgraduate credit at Appalachian. Blackburn was promoted to the rank of assistant professor of economics and business in 1973, and, in July of 1978 she was promoted again to associate professor. She was chosen as faculty marshal for the 1977 commencement at the university. While at the university, Blackburn was active in sponsoring workshops and seminars related to business education, office administration, vocational education, and sex equity in public instruction. She served on numerous committees for the State Department of Public Instruction and worked as a teacher education intern for one year under that department's sponsorship. Within her own department, Blackburn supervised graduate teaching assistants and student teachers in the field. She served as coordinator for the activities of the business education, office administration, and education departments. Always intent on improving methods of instruction in her field, Blackburn obtained a Ford Venture Grant in 1976 to establish, equip, and conduct a multichannel laboratory at the university to improve the instruction of shorthand. She also developed instructional materials related to the improvement of individualized business education instruction. She prepared materials for teaching specific areas of business education, such as a program to assist in vocabulary improvement and she participated in a follow-up study of Appalachian's business education graduates conducted by the College of Learning and Human Development from 1973 to 1976. Blackburn served on numerous university and departmental committees. She also served on many community and regional committees. During her tenure at Appalachian State University, Blackburn was affiliated with the National Business Education Association, the North Carolina Business Education Association, the North Carolina Vocational Education Association, the Boone Chamber of Commerce, and Pi Omega Pi. In 1982, she participated in the faculty visitation exchange program with Morehead State University. She also was a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and was listed in Personalities of the South. In December 1984, Blackburn retired from the university after thirty-one years of teaching, over twenty-eight of which were spent with Appalachian. Sources: Appalachian State University files and personal correspondence. -Dr. Richard D. Howe
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