Originally, from Salem, Illinois, Mr. Carle Blackwell (shown left with Associate Dean Don Rice in the image) earned his Bachelor of Arts in history from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1957 after serving five years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force.

While at SIU, he was the sophomore class president and president of the International Relations Club.

Mr. Blackwell's career included 35 years in the investment industry and he retired as vice president of Dean Witter Securities, after which he developed his own asset management firm, The Blackwell Corporation USA.

His interests include orienteering, sailing, and flying sail-planes. Mr. Blackwell has also taught sailing classes at Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). His favorite vacation area is Arizona, and he loves sailing the blue waters of the Bahamas, especially the outer banks around the Berry Islands before hurricane season.

Mr. Blackwell is currently writing Two Men, Two Trails, which is about two trail crew-members from the Grand Canyon, and how their deaths were similar, yet 50 years apart.

Mr. Blackwell's brother, Mr. Henry "Hank" Blackwell, is married to Mrs. Nancy (Neckers) Blackwell, daughter of former SIUC chemistry professor Dr. James Neckers. Mr. Blackwell's wife, Mrs. Marianetta Blackwell is from Centralia, Illinois, and worked as a nurse administrator, before developing her own health care consulting business. She attended SIU after marrying Mr. Blackwell and worked at the Marion, Illinois Veterans Hospital. They have four adult children and six grandchildren.