Frank A Blethen was born on April 20,1945 and is an American executive who serves as the publisher of The Seattle Times and chief executive officer of The Seattle Times Company, based in Seattle, Washington, United States.
18 Facts About Frank Blethen
1.
2.
Frank Blethen has served as a publisher of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, another newspaper that was owned by the company in the 1970s.
3.
Frank Blethen is a fourth-generation member of the Blethen family and the great-grandson of Seattle Times founder Alden J Blethen.
4.
Frank Blethen's parents divorced in 1951, and Blethen moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, with his mother and elder sister, Diane.
5.
Frank Blethen was the only member of the Blethen family to have been raised outside of Seattle.
6.
Frank Blethen returned to Seattle in the summers and spent time with his aunts, uncles, and cousins, but rarely saw his father.
7.
Frank Blethen has described himself as the "accidental publisher" because he had no intention of running the business until the 1980s.
8.
Frank Blethen attended Arizona State University, where he majored in business studies.
9.
Frank Blethen began his career at the Seattle Times as the assistant credit manager and was promoted to credit manager when his boss took a leave of absence.
10.
Frank Blethen held a variety of positions at the Seattle Times, including building manager, where he negotiated janitorial and security contracts and oversaw the remodeling of the cafeteria.
11.
Frank Blethen spent four years working at the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin in Walla Walla, Washington, beginning in 1974.
12.
Frank Blethen returned to the Seattle Times Company in 1980 and held various executive positions in advertising, circulation, marketing, and labor.
13.
Frank Blethen has been the publisher of the Times for over 30 years.
14.
On May 13,2024, Frank Blethen announced that he would retire from his position as CEO and publisher of the Seattle Times in late 2025.
15.
Frank Blethen has donated to educational institutions and helped create the two-year Greater Good Campaign, a movement against the state legislature's defunding of higher public education.
16.
Frank Blethen has been criticized for campaigning against taxes that would fund public education.
17.
Frank Blethen has received awards for contributions to promoting diversity in publishing.
18.
Frank Blethen has been criticized for mixing business interests with content issues, which are traditionally separated at newspapers.