Long-time educator and Native Hawaiian Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell served as First Lady of Honolulu during the term of her husband, Neal Blaisdell, pictured with her here in 1956. Photo Credit: Honolulu Advertiser
Many accomplished educators have also gained notoriety in the public eye. One of these was Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell, who once served as the First Lady of Honolulu while her husband was the city’s mayor.
Lucy was born on August 16, 1903, in Honolulu, Hawaii. Her mother, Helen Kahanuulani Meek, was a Native Hawaiian, and her father, Charles Thurston, was a descendent of an American Revolutionary War soldier named Robert Thurston.
After Lucy’s high school graduation from Punahou School, she continued her education first at the Territorial Normal School and then at Colorado College, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1926. That same year she married her childhood sweetheart, Neal Blaisdell, also of Native Hawaiian heritage. After their marriage, Neal accepted a position as football coach at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and Lucy accepted her first teaching position in Rochester, New York. Over the course of that year, she enrolled at Columbia University, where she earned her Master’s degree.
In the summer of 1927, Lucy and Neal returned to their home state of Hawaii. Upon her return, she accepted a position at her alma mater, the Territorial Normal School. In 1937, she returned to Rochester, New York, where for one year she taught social studies on a teacher exchange assignment. During the many years she taught in Hawaii she taught in schools in Honolulu schools, including Washington Intermediate, Liliuokalani, Stevenson, President William McKinley High School, Kaimuki High School, and Kaimuki Intermediate. The distinguished educator concluded her 36-year career when she retired from the profession in 1963.
When Neal was elected mayor of Honolulu in 1955, Lucy became the city’s First Lady. She served in this capacity until he retired from office in 1969. During these years, Lucy steadfastly declined opportunities to make public speeches, but she did work tirelessly for his campaign. Once he was elected, she continued to decline public speaking opportunities, but happily served as his hostess at formal and casual gatherings. Even though she was still teaching, after she had put in a full day at school she would attend social and political events with her husband in the evenings.
Lucy Puniwai Blaisdell passed away on December 16, 1986, at the age of 86. She is buried alongside her husband a Oahu Cemetery in Honolulu.
