Ted Blunt facts for kids

Theodore Blunt (born March 22, 1943 – died January 11, 2024) was an important American leader. He was a politician, a teacher, and a great athlete. In Delaware, he worked for the city of Wilmington for many years. He was a city councilman for 16 years. Later, he served as the city council president for eight years. He was also the father of Lisa Blunt Rochester, who is now a congresswoman.

Early Life and Education

Theodore Blunt was born and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was one of four children in his family. His parents were Helen and John Blunt. Ted's family faced tough times while he was growing up. They lived in the James Weldon Johnson Housing Projects. This experience taught them to believe in hard work and strong family bonds.

Blunt finished high school at Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia. He then went to Winston-Salem Teachers College. This school is now called Winston-Salem State University (WSSU). He earned a Bachelor of Science degree there. His degree was in elementary education, which means teaching young kids. Three years later, he earned a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University.

Career Highlights

Sports Achievements

Ted Blunt was a talented athlete in high school. He was chosen for the All Public Teams in both basketball and soccer. In his last year of high school, he was named the Most Valuable Player in Basketball. This award was given by the Markward Club's Public League.

At WSSU, he continued to shine in basketball. Here are some of his amazing accomplishments:

• From 1961 to 1965, he was on the All C.I.A.A. Conference and Tournament teams.
• In 1963, he won the C.I.A.A. Tournament Most Valuable Player Award.
• He was on the Georgia Invitational All Tournament teams in 1963 and 1964.
• He also won the Georgia Invitational Most Valuable Player awards in 1963 and 1964.
• In 1964 and 1965, he was part of the All N.A.I.A. teams.
• In 1964, he was chosen to try out for the N.A.I.A. Olympic Trials Basketball Team.

He played alongside another famous player, Earl "the Pearl" Monroe. Their coach and mentor was the legendary Clarence "Big House" Gaines. In 2012, Ted Blunt was the first person ever to be put into the Delaware Blue/Gold Basketball Hall of Fame.

Early Professional Work

Ted Blunt started his career in Philadelphia. He worked with young people as a Juvenile Gang Worker. After graduate school, he became a group therapist at Temple University. In 1969, he and his family moved to Wilmington, Delaware. There, he became a director for the Peoples Settlement Association.

He really wanted to help young people improve their lives. This led him to work in education for 36 years. He was a central office administrator in three different school districts. These were the Wilmington, New Castle County, and Red Clay Consolidated School Districts.

Political Career

In 1985, Ted Blunt was elected to the Wilmington City Council. He worked on important committees like Finance and Audit. He also served on several boards and commissions. These included the Board of Pensions and Retirement.

In 2000, Blunt was elected President of the Wilmington City Council. He also became the Chairman of the Wilmington Cable Commission. Under his leadership, many good things happened for the city. Money was made available for student scholarships. Five community centers could stay open longer. Also, Wilmington's elementary schools received money to help students who needed extra support.

In 2008, Blunt thought about running for lieutenant governor. However, he later decided not to continue his campaign. He wanted to help unite his political party. He also felt that running for office was too expensive. Most importantly, he wanted to spend more time with his family.

Personal Life

Ted Blunt always supported his old college, WSSU. He gave his time and also made donations. In 2010, he fully paid back the scholarship he received from WSSU. He gave the university $6,400. This showed his strong belief in education and giving back. His daughter, Lisa Blunt Rochester, was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2016.

In 2011, Ted and his high school sweetheart, Alice LaTrelle (Jackson), celebrated 50 years of marriage. They renewed their wedding vows with their children and grandchildren present.

Ted Blunt passed away on January 11, 2024. He was 80 years old.