Blair alum Elizabeth (Beth) Webster ’91 makes her return to the hilltop on Tuesday, November 12. A veteran U.S. diplomat with over 23 years’ experience with the Department of State, she looks forward to speaking with Blair students about her career path and the rewards of public service. In her most recent posting, Beth served as the U.S. Consul for Western France, where, among other roles, she helped plan for the 80th anniversary celebration of the D-Day landings in Normandy.  She will present to the School an American flag flown over the Normandy American Cemetery in honor of the Blair alumni and faculty who fought in World War II.

Upon graduating from Blair, Ms. Webster went on to obtain her bachelor’s degree in English and history at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and her juris doctor from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. 

Aspiring to build a career in U.S. foreign relations and public service, Ms. Webster actively sought and embraced global professional opportunities. Between 2001 and 2024, Ms. Webster accrued titles such as a Pearson Fellow for the Office of Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) from 2017 to 2018, Deputy Director/Acting Director for the Office of Press and Public Outreach, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from 2018 to 2020, and most recently, the Consul/Principal Officer for the U.S. Consulate for Western France, Rennes. 

As if Ms. Webster’s resume were not impressive enough, the Blairstown native has studied four languages—Spanish, Russian, Hungarian and French. She has received multiple Meritious and Superior Honor awards from the Department of State, and recently was awarded the Meritorious Public Service Medal by the American Battle Monuments Commission.

“The education I received at Blair prepared me well not only to succeed in college, but to be a continuous leaner throughout my career,” said Ms. Webster in a pre-event interview. “I am grateful for the opportunities my Blair education has brought me and I hope that Blair students will also look at careers in the foreign service or in other public service paths.”

All are welcome to hear Ms. Webster speak in the forum of the Chiang-Elghanayan Center next Tuesday at 7 p.m.

History of Skeptics
 
The Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. Each week, speakers from the political, social, scientific, economic and literary arenas share their unique perspectives with students, who are encouraged to engage with presenters, asking questions and debating points of view.

The program, which is funded in part by the Class of 1968 Society of Skeptics Endowment Fund, is an outgrowth of the Blair International Society, begun in 1937. Forty years later, former history department chair Elliott Trommald, PhD, Hon. ’65, established the modern Skeptics program as a regular forum for student discussion and debate; history teacher Martin Miller, PhD, took over in the mid-1980s and molded the program into a weekly lecture series, one that has since continued without interruption. Under the tutelage of Dr. Miller and his successor, history department chair Jason Beck, Skeptics has featured a wide variety of speakers who are thought-provoking, engaging, accomplished in their respective fields and often controversial. For a listing of upcoming Skeptics programs, please visit Blair’s website.