Melanie Anderson Blunt is the wife of former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt

Matt Blunt

Matthew Roy Blunt served as the 54th Governor of Missouri from 2005 to 2009. Before his election as governor, Blunt served ten years in the United States Navy, was elected to serve in the Missouri General Assembly in 1998 and as Missouri's Secretary of State in 2000.A Republican, Blunt was elected...

, serving as First Lady

First Lady

First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...

 of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

 from 2005 to 2009.

During that period, she was the youngest spouse of a U.S. state governor in the United States. She was succeeded as First Lady by Georganne W. Nixon, the wife of Governor Jay Nixon

Jay Nixon

Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon, Sr. is the 55th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Missouri. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as Missouri's Attorney General before his election in 2008.-Political career:...

, on January 12, 2009.

Early life

Melanie Anderson was born in Middleburg, Virginia

Middleburg, Virginia

Middleburg is a town in Loudoun County, Virginia, United States with a population of approximately 976 as of July 2010.-History:The town was established in 1787 by American Revolutionary War Lieutenant Colonel and Virginia statesman, Levin Powell. He purchased the land for Middleburg at $2.50 per...

 in Loudoun County

Loudoun County, Virginia

Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...

 and attended James Madison University

James Madison University

James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...

 in Harrisonburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...

, where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

 in Fashion Merchandising. After college, she managed retail stores for The Limited and Talbots

Talbots

Talbots is a specialty retailer and direct marketer of women’s classic clothing, shoes and accessories. Established in 1947, the company sells items such as the blazer, trench, white shirt, ballet flats and pearls....

 and met Matt Blunt during his active service in the U.S. Navy. They were married in 1997 and moved to her husband's hometown of Springfield, Missouri

Springfield, Missouri

Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

.

Their first son, William Branch Blunt, was born in March 2005, two months after his father took office as Governor. Their second son, Brooks Anderson Blunt, was born on January 1, 2010.

Historic preservation efforts

Blunt led an initiative to restore the Missouri Governor's Mansion

Missouri Governor's Mansion

The Missouri Governor's Mansion is a historic U.S. residence in Jefferson City, Missouri. It is located at 100 Madison Street. On May 21, 1969, it was added to the U.S...

, a Renaissance Revival-style home designed by St. Louis architect George Ingham Barnett and completed in 1871.

Blunt's efforts included successfully lobbying the General Assembly

Missouri General Assembly

The Missouri General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Missouri. The bicameral General Assembly is composed of a 34-member Senate, and a 163-member House of Representatives. Members of both houses of the General Assembly are subject to term limits...

 for $3.1 million in funding, as well as hosting a luncheon with the First Ladies, the first-ever event to bring together Missouri's First Ladies for a common cause.

Charitable works

Blunt served as honorary chair of Missouri Citizens for the Arts from 2007 to 2008. She has also taken active leadership in Habitat for Humanity and Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

External links

• Missouri First Lady Melanie Blunt official biography
• Missouri Women's Council letter from Melanie Blunt