Virginia Neal Blue (1910-1970) was an American businesswoman and politician,

Colorado State Treasurer The Treasurer of the State of Colorado is one of the five elected officials of the U.S. state of Colorado, the other four being the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General. The State Treasurer is responsible for man ...

from 1967 to 1970, and the first woman elected to executive office in the state.

Early life

Virginia Neal Blue was born in

Meeker, Colorado Meeker is the Statutory Town in and the county seat of Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States, that is the most populous municipality in the county. The town population was 2,475 at the 2010 United States Census. Description The town is ...

She earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

in 1931.

Career

Blue was one of the

Regents of the University of Colorado The Regents of the University of Colorado is the governing board of the University of Colorado system, the system of public universities in the U.S. state of Colorado. Established under Article IX, Section 9 of the Constitution of Colorado, it has ...

, the governing board of the University of Colorado system, from 1953 to 1959, and chairman of the Colorado Commission on the Status of Women from 1964 to 1966. She was

from 1967 to 1970, and the first woman elected to executive office in the state.

Personal life

She married James Elliot Blue (1907-1986). Their sons

Neal Blue James Neal Blue (born 1935) is an American billionaire businessman, and the chief executive officer and chairman of General Atomics based in San Diego, California. Early life Blue was born in 1935 in Meeker, Colorado, the son of James Elliot Bl ...

and

Linden Blue Linden Stanley Blue (born 1936) is an American aviation executive. He is the co-owner and vice chairman of General Atomics, the U.S. military contractor that manufactures the Predator drones used by the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, and ...

took a subsidiary of Chevron private as

General Atomics General Atomics is an American energy and defense corporation headquartered in San Diego, California, specializing in research and technology development. This includes physics research in support of nuclear fission and nuclear fusion energy. The ...

References

1910 births 1970 deaths People from Meeker, Colorado University of Colorado Boulder alumni State treasurers of Colorado Colorado Republicans University of Colorado people American real estate brokers {{Colorado-politician-stub