Dr. Jack Christopher Blanton was named an honorary Kentucky Colonel by several governors, and he was honored by the governor of Arkansas as Arkansas Traveler.
LEXINGTON, KY, May 08, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Jack Christopher Blanton, PhD, with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Dr. Blanton celebrates many years' experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Dr. Blanton's professional career began in 1958 as a news reporter for the Knoxville Journal in Tennessee. Within two years he was called to work in government as an analyst in the State Budget Division of Kentucky in Frankfort. During his time there he worked closely with four different governors helping prepare their biennial budgets. He worked his way up the ranks of the budget office and in 1970 was appointed State Budget Director. While serving as a budgeteer, Dr. Blanton was elected president of the Southern Association of State Budget Officers. He also was active with the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO).
As his career evolved, he transitioned to higher education where he was named Associate Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission in Nashville in 1972. After two years there he moved to the position of Vice Chancellor for Finance for the Tennessee Board of Regents. In 1975 he was called to return to his home state of Kentucky to serve as Vice President for Business Affairs at the University of Kentucky (UK) in Lexington. There he began a long and distinguished career in academia in a variety of capacities including University Treasurer, a member of six university affiliated foundations including the University of Kentucky Athletic Association. At the time of his retirement he had served as second longest appointee to this particular foundation. Dr. Blanton contributed for another two decades on campus as an adjunct professor in the Gatton College of Business and Economics, and the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration. During this time, he served briefly as interim Vice President for Minority Affairs until the position was filled by a permanent appointee. As vice president he was a member of the Lexington Mayor's Task Force on Growth Planning. He retired from UK in 2013.
Having enjoyed a renowned career at the University of Kentucky, Dr. Blanton was instrumental in the establishment of the WRFL radio station, an alternative FM station led by students that is broadcast live 24 hours a day. He helped establish a residence on campus for the University Press of Kentucky in addition to being a member of its governing board. He also was instrumental in finding a residence on campus for the Kentucky Humanities Council.
Dr. Blanton served in the U.S. Air Force and the Tennessee and Kentucky Air National Guard from 1958 to 1964. He found success on the board of directors of the Lexington Community Kitchen and the Lexington Chamber of Commerce. He was active with the board of the Community Concert and Lecture Series, the Hope Center for Homeless Men, the Civil War Roundtable, and the Kiwanis Club.
Among his awards, he was named an honorary Kentucky Colonel by several governors, and he was honored by the governor of Arkansas as Arkansas Traveler. For his work at UK he was given a Leadership Award by the national society of Omicron Delta Kappa. A celebrated Marquis listee, he has been showcased in the 46th through the 53rd editions of Who's Who in America as well as the 21st edition of Who's Who in the South and Southeast.
Dr. Blanton was born in Berea, Kentucky in 1935 within a few miles of the birth place of Kit Carson; the famous western explorer and guide. He received a Bachelor of Arts in history and political science at Berea College in 1957. In 2013 he was named the Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by his alma mater. Upon graduating from Berea, he was one of six students selected for a full scholarship from the Southern Regional Training Program in Public Administration which allowed him to spend one semester each at the University of Alabama, the University of Tennessee (UT) and the University of Kentucky. He earned the Master of Arts from UT in 1964 and his Ph.D. from UK in 1982. In 1966 he was selected by the Ford Foundation as outstanding mid-career government executive and funded for a full school year as a graduate fellow at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California.
To remain aware of developments affecting his field Dr. Blanton maintained his professional affiliation with several pertinent organizations. To wit, he was a member of the National Association of College and University Business officers (NACUBO), The National Association of State University and Land Grant Colleges, and the Forum for College Finance Alternatives. Dr. Blanton was also aligned as a member of the Finance Executive Institute and as an honorary member of the Kentucky Society of Architects. During his time at UK he was a member of 14 "visiting committees" charged with the reaccreditation of their universities by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
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