Dr. Charles Avery Blackman

At an early age, Charles Blackman’s fondness for automobiles began with the gift of a $25 Model T from his parents.

A highlight was when Charles drove his family’s 1939 Bantam from Columbus, Ohio through New York City in 1940 to visit relatives in New England, at the age of 14. Needing some repairs from the Bantam dealer on Broadway, he found himself short of money. Charles left his spare tire as collateral and drove the newly opened Merritt Parkway to Connecticut and borrowed the cash from his aunt. He was nervous the entire way about blowing a tire without a spare. That exact car, “Baby B,” was held by him for several decades until recently sold to a Bantam enthusiast.

His collection of automobiles at times reached over twenty vehicles, before settling down to 9 later in life. His first Packard, a 1940 Custom Super Eight 180 All-Weather Cabriolet by Rollson, was purchased in 1955 and still remains in the collection.

He was a well-known and respected Packard authority with a lifetime of accumulated knowledge. He was highly sought after for his accurate information, advice and an expert on Packard body production figures. Charles was active in many automobile clubs over the years. He was a very early member of the Classic Car Club of America and took his various cars over the years on CCCA Caravans and to the Grand Classic shows.

Charles served on the collections committee of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum for more than 20 years, serving the museum with distinction. He would later gift his 1938 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria to the museum. Other cars were donated to car museums over his lifetime.

In 1998 Charles was a founding signer of the Articles of Incorporation that established the MotorCities National Heritage Area Partnership. He continued to serve MotorCities as part of the heritage area’s Lansing Stewardship Community, including a role as a board member at the R. E. Olds Museum of Transportation in Lansing. His significant contributions to the local community and the entire heritage area were recognized in 2017 when he was presented with the prestigious Milestone Award. The award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in historic preservation of the automotive industry and labor movement.

Dr. Blackman’s love of automobiles was not just limited to Packards, however. He enjoyed cars of all shapes and sizes and price classes. He belonged to the Veteran Motor Car Club of America, the Antique Automobile Club of America, and the Classic Car Club of America. Dr. Blackman was a big booster of homegrown Lansing makes like Oldsmobile and REO, but his special fondness was for Buicks and Packards.

His greatest automotive passion was unquestionably the Packard marque. Charles became a member of The Packard Club (Packard Automobile Classics, Inc.) very early on, and later became a Charter Member of the Club’s Motor City Packards Region. Over the span of more than 50 years he amassed a large volume of research data that reconstructed Packard’s body production figures. This was done through various means, including examining underneath the hoods of Packards he would spot at car shows, museums, and in private collections. His primary emphasis was on the Classic Era cars, but the entirety of his research encompassed other eras of Packard production.

Dr. Blackman was instrumental in the 1992 creation of the America’s Packard Museum in Dayton, Ohio, and the museum featured one of his personal Packards as part of its inaugural display. He went on to serve on the museum’s board and their Leadership Council for over 25 years, with 10 years as Chairman. And, true to his passion, he helped drive the effort to save the most historic portions of the Packard Proving Grounds in Utica, Michigan, from demolition and redevelopment, and was a founding member of the Packard Motor Car Foundation. He served on the foundation’s board until relatively recently.

Dr. Blackman made significant contributions to both Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, Michigan and to the CCCA Museum in Hickory Corners, Michigan, when he donated a pair of 1938 Packard Twelves that once belonged to Anna T. Dodge, widow of auto pioneer Horace Dodge. This donation helped both institutions to interpret, preserve and share the rich history of Packard as well as of the Dodge Brothers Motor Company and the Dodge family.

Perhaps a fitting capstone of Charles’ well-lived life came just a few weeks before his passing. His son Wes and a friend drove Charles’ final restoration, a 1941 Packard 160 Business Coupe, a total of 1,400 miles from Lansing, Michigan, to West Palm Beach, Florida, after attending the Concours D’Elegance at Copshaholm in South Bend, Indiana. At the show, it received their premier level LaVine Award: Spirit of the Hobby. The award honors those who have demonstrated dedication and passion to the classic car hobby through preservation, restoration, and participation in saving our automotive heritage. It would turn out to be a very apropos final tribute to a man who was a great ambassador to the entire collector car hobby.

So much has been said here about what Dr. Blackman has done for the car hobby and for the Packard world in particular, we must acknowledge his equal dedication to excellence in education -- not only as a Professor of Education for almost 40 years at MSU, but also in his passion for sharing his commitment to excellence -- to inspire his students to fully apply themselves and to become the best teachers they can be. He shared this passion for excellence in the local schools by serving on the Board of the Okemos School District for many years. And both he and his late first wife, Dr. Margaret Blackman, shared their wisdom and their pursuit of excellence with their son, Wes, of whom they were both very proud.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am Friday, September 1, 2023 at The Peoples Church, 200 W. Grand River Ave, East Lansing, with committal at Glendale Cemetery. A luncheon will follow at Coral Gables.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greastlansing.com for the Blackman family.