Blanchard, Juliet S.

Juliet Stroh Blanchard was a prominent citizen who became well known for her writing, travels, and speaking engagements during the mid to late twentieth century. Blanchard was born in Illinois in 1902 and came to Ohio in 1920 to attend the College of Wooster. Shortly after her graduation, she married Werner (Pete) Blanchard. During the early years of their marriage, they moved around the country; but when her husband and a friend co-founded their own company, Engineering Products, the Blanchards settled in Dayton, Ohio. Her husband was killed in an airplane crash on a return trip from a business conference in December of 1948, leaving behind Juliet and their two children. In the early years of their marriage, Mr. Blanchard had told Juliet that if something ever happened to him, he did not want her to live on in the shadow of his business but to create a life of "her own." The documentation found in Mrs. Blanchard's collection is testament that she followed his advice.

Following the death of her husband, Juliet Blanchard began traveling extensively throughout the world. She produced filmstrips for the United Nations, UNESCO, the Presbyterian Church, the Dayton Council on World Affairs, the League of Women Voters, and US/AID. As a result of her travels, she became a popular lecturer and was often invited by local and national organizations and government agencies to speak on issues that related to her experiences and interests.

Blanchard was recognized for her leadership in the Dayton community. She was a tireless volunteer who was voted President of the Dayton and Ohio League of Women Voters, was active in the Dayton Council on World Affairs and the YWCA, and was active in the Westminster Presbyterian Church. She went on to hold positions on the National Board of the League of Women Voters and also on the Presbyterian Church of the USA's national Board of Christian Education. Her face or by-line was a common sight in the local newspapers.

Blanchard was an advocate for peace throughout the world and worked determinedly for improvement in international relations. She served two years in the Peace Corps while she was in her sixties. One of her students at the University of Philippines was a Vietnamese teacher. Later, after he returned to his own country, Blanchard was eventually able to help his family escape from Vietnam as U.S. troops were withdrawn at the end of the war. She traveled to many worldwide conferences and also spoke to local groups in Ohio about the work of the United Nations and her travels, often showing slides, costumes, and artifacts from around the world.

Writing was a constant throughout Blanchard's life. In an account book holding the expenses of her early marriage period, books and paper always played a prominent part in the monthly budget. She was an avid letter writer. Her correspondence includes letters to and from family, friends, local and national dignitaries, and many people from around the world. She was a member of the Dayton Literary Club and produced numerous manuscripts containing short stories that she wrote for the club and often sent to publishers. She wrote articles for the local newspapers and newsletters. She eventually did publish a novel, Ants Have No Taste, based on her experiences in the Peace Corps. She wrote the scripts for the filmstrips that she produced so others could use them for presentations. She also wrote reports for both government agencies and organizations that had sent her on fact finding missions throughout the world.

In her later years, Blanchard returned to Wooster, Ohio where she was an active member of the Board of Trustees of the College of Wooster, her alma mater. There, she continued to encourage international relations by both entertaining foreign students in her home and often providing them with needed financial assistance so that they could complete their education. A memorial scholarship has been set up in her name.

Juliet Stroh Blanchard was a prominent citizen who became well known for her writing, travels, and speaking engagements during the mid to late twentieth century. Blanchard was born in Illinois in 1902 and came to Ohio in 1920 to attend the College of Wooster. Shortly after her graduation, she married Werner (Pete) Blanchard. During the early years of their marriage, they moved around the country; but when her husband and a friend co-founded their own company, Engineering Products, the Blanchard's settled in Dayton, Ohio. Her husband was killed in an airplane crash on a return trip from a business conference in December of 1948, leaving behind Juliet and their two children. In the early years of their marriage, Mr. Blanchard had told Juliet that if something ever happened to him, he did not want her to live on in the shadow of his business but to create a life of "her own." The documentation found in Mrs. Blanchard's collection is testament that she followed his advice.

Following the death of her husband, Juliet Blanchard began traveling extensively throughout the world. She produced filmstrips for the United Nations, UNESCO, the Presbyterian Church, the Dayton Council on World Affairs, the League of Women Voters, and US/AID. As a result of her travels, she became a popular lecturer and was often invited by local and national organizations and government agencies to speak on issues that related to her experiences and interests.

Blanchard was recognized for her leadership in the Dayton community. She was a tireless volunteer who was voted President of the Dayton and Ohio League of Women Voters, was active in the Dayton Council on World Affairs and the YWCA, and was active in the Westminster Presbyterian Church. She went on to hold positions on the National Board of the League of Women Voters and also on the Presbyterian Church of the USA's national Board of Christian Education. Her face or by-line was a common sight in the local newspapers

Blanchard was an advocate for peace throughout the world and worked determinedly for improvement in international relations. She served two years in the Peace Corps while she was in her sixties. One of her students at the University of Philippines was a Vietnamese teacher. Later, after he returned to his own country, Blanchard was eventually able to help his family escape from Vietnam as U.S. troops were withdrawn at the end of the war. She traveled to many worldwide conferences and also spoke to local groups in Ohio about the work of the United Nations and her travels, often showing slides, costumes, and artifacts from around the world.

Writing was a constant throughout Blanchard's life. In an account book holding the expenses of her early marriage period, books and paper always played a prominent part in the monthly budget. She was an avid letter writer. Her correspondence includes letters to and from family, friends, local and national dignitaries, and many people from around the world. She was a member of the Dayton Literary Club and produced numerous manuscripts containing short stories that she wrote for the club and often sent to publishers. She wrote articles for the local newspapers and newsletters. She eventually did publish a novel, Ants Have No Taste, based on her experiences in the Peace Corps. She wrote the scripts for the filmstrips that she produced so others could use them for presentations. She also wrote reports for both government agencies and organizations that had sent her on fact finding missions throughout the world.

In her later years, Blanchard returned to Wooster, Ohio where she was an active member of the Board of Trustees of the College of Wooster, her alma mater. There, she continued to encourage international relations by both entertaining foreign students in her home and often providing them with needed financial assistance so that they could complete their education. A memorial scholarship has been set up in her name.