Central Washington University Faculty Papers, Karen Blair, 1962-2013

Dr. Karen Blair grew up on Long Island, NY. She attended Mt. Holyoke College in Massachusetts for her B.A. (1971) and SUNY/Buffalo for her M.A. and Ph.D. in History (1974, 1976). She taught briefly at Ohio State University, California Institute of Technology and the University of Washington before joining the faculty at Central Washington University in 1987. She balanced teaching with travel and research on the history of Pacific Northwest women and the history of women’s voluntary associations in America. She chaired the CWU Department of History from June 1998 to June 2013. Outside of her work at the university, she invested herself in leading and participating in various local and national organizations, including the Washington Women’s History Consortium and the Western Association of Women Historians. Additionally, she published numerous articles, book reviews, and books of history—including Women in Pacific Northwest History and By Teaching We Learn, a collaborative book on the history of Central Washington University. Blair devotes her spare time to playing classical piano, including ensemble performance with chamber musicians.