G. Lawrence Blankinship Sr.
 | This article, G. Lawrence Blankinship Sr., has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: |
| This article, G. Lawrence Blankinship Sr., has recently been created via the Articles for creation process. Please check to see if the reviewer has accidentally left this template after accepting the draft and take appropriate action as necessary.
Reviewer tools: Inform author |
G. Lawrence Blankinship Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 8, 1913 |
| Died | December 28, 2005 (aged 92) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation(s) | Pharmacist, business owner |
| Years active | 1944–2005 |
| Known for | Blankinship Distributors |
G. Lawrence Blankinship, Sr. (1913–2005[1]) was one of Kansas City's earliest and most well known African-American businessmen.[2] He served as the chairman of the Kansas City Black Economic Union for more than 14 years.
Life
Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 8, 1913, Blankinship moved to Kansas City as a teenager and later graduated from Lincoln High School.[1] He later attended Kansas City College of Pharmacy and was told by an instructor that several white students in his class objected to his presence because he was black.[2][3]
He married Opal C. Blankinship and they had one son, G. Lawrence Blankinship Jr.[4]
Blankinship died on December 28, 2005 at age 92.[1]
Career
In April 1944, he founded Blankinship & Meyers Jobbers together with Fred Meyers, a fellow manager within the Crown Drug Store chain.[1] The company was a wholesale supplier of African American beauty products.[1]
In 1947, Meyers decided to leave the newly formed company for personal heath reasons, and the company became Blankinship Distributors Inc.[1][2] Blankinship went on to supply hundreds of sales outlets, primarily drugstores, with hair care and cosmetic products developed for the burgeoning African American markets.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "G. Lawrence Blankinship, Sr.: 'He Was a Great Mentor and Tutor'". The Kansas City Star. January 1, 2006. p. A-1. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c "Black History Stories". KCLINC.org. Greater KC LINC. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
- ^ Hockaday, Laura Rollins (June 3, 1984). "Quiet power". The Kansas City Star. p. 143.
- ^ Hockaday, Laura R. (January 7, 1996). "Midwesterner's Club is still a place to bond". The Kansas City Star. p. 23.
- ^ Mansur, Michael (January 2, 2006). "G. Lawrence Blankinship Sr. Dies at 92". The Kansas City Star. p. A-1.
Further reading
- "Lawrence Blankinship (two newspaper biographical articles about)". The Call. December 9–16, 1966. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
- G. Lawrence Blankinship, Sr. & Horace M. Peterson III (June 21, 1976). An Interview with G. Lawrence Blankinship (cassette tape, compact disc). Retrieved January 11, 2021.
Category:1913 births Category:2005 deaths Category:African-American businesspeople