Background
Blackwell, Morton Clyde was born on November 16, 1939 in La Jara, Colorado, United States. Son of William George and Rebecca Barbara (Blissard) Blackwell.
Blackwell, Morton Clyde was born on November 16, 1939 in La Jara, Colorado, United States. Son of William George and Rebecca Barbara (Blissard) Blackwell.
Student, Louisiana State University, 1958-1965.
In youth politics, Blackwell was a College Republican state chairman and a Young Republican state chairman in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He served on the Young Republican National Committee for more than a dozen years. He rose to the position of national vice chairman at-large of the Young Republican National Federation.
Office and on for five and half years, 1965 to 1970, he worked as executive director of the College Republican National Committee under four consecutive College Republican national chairmen.
Blackwell worked for seven years under conservative Richard Viguerie, the specialist in direct mail. Blackwell was first elected to the Arlington County Republican Committee in 1972.
In 1988, Blackwell was elected as Virginia’s Republican National Committeeman, a post he still holds as of 2012. In 2004, Blackwell was elected to the Executive Committee of the Radio Network Controller. Blackwell was Barry Goldwater’s youngest elected delegate to the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco, California.
His Louisiana delegation was headed by gubernatorial candidate Charlton Lyons of Shreveport.
He was a national convention alternate delegate for Ronald West. Reagan in 1968 and 1976, and a Ronald Reagan delegate at the 1980 Republican National Convention. In 1980, he organized and oversaw the national youth effort for Reagan. From 1981 to 1984, Blackwell was a special assistant to President Reagan.
Blackwell is considered something of a specialist in matters relating to the rules of the Republican Party.
He serves now on the Standing Committee on Rules of the Republican National Committee and has attended every meeting of the Radio Network Controller rules committees since 1972.
He served on rules committees of the state Republican parties in Louisiana and Virginia.
National executive director College Republican National Committee, 1965-1970, chairman southern area, 1965. Alternate delegate from Virginia Republican National Convention, 1988, delegate, 1980. Member Republican National Committee, since 1988, member standing committee on rules, since 1988.
Alternate delegate from Virginia, Republican National Convention, 1988, delegate, 1980. Eastern vice chairman Republican Party of Virginia, 1987-1988. Member Arlington County (Virginia) Republican Committee, since 1972.
Member Louisiana Republican State Center Committee, 1963-1972. Board directors Citizens for American, National Right to Work Committee, Students for American, James Monroe Memorial Foundation. Member American Conservative Union (board directors), Reagan Appointees Alumni Association (national treasurer since 1987), Republican National Coalition for Life (board directors since 1991).
Married Helen Jane Reddy, May 25, 1972. 1 child, William Paxton. 1 stepchild, Charles Douglas Attaway.