Remembering longtime School faculty member Frayda S. Bluestein

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The School of Government is saddened to share the news of the passing of former faculty member Frayda Bluestein. Bluestein joined the Institute of Government in 1991 and served as a trusted member of the faculty for three decades.

In her prolific career at the School, Bluestein established herself as one of North Carolina’s most relied upon and valued experts on governmental structure and powers, conflicts of interest, and transparency laws. Her work and expertise stretched to every corner of the state and equipped local government officials with the skills and knowledge they needed to maintain trust and credibility with the communities they serve.

During her career, she was a fixture in several of the School’s flagship courses that educated thousands of public officials, including Municipal and County Administration, Essentials of Municipal Government, the Municipal Attorneys Winter Conference, and Ethics for Elected Officials. In her name, the School launched the Frayda S. Bluestein Scholarship Fund for the Municipal and County Administration course. This gift-endowed scholarship provides funding to public officials wishing to attend the course and gives first preference to those whose participation is, in part, dependent upon financial support.

Her expertise was regularly sought by state and national media outlets in matters related to transparency, public records, open meeting laws, and First Amendment issues affecting public bodies. Bluestein wrote extensively on local government authority, and her published scholarship is considered a source of record by officials across the state—and beyond.

To honor her expertise and service, Bluestein’s time on the School of Government faculty was, to no one’s surprise, met with many distinguished awards—one of which became her namesake:

Albert and Gladys Coates Term Professor for Outstanding Junior Faculty Achievement (Institute of Government; 1998)
Albert and Gladys Coates Term Professorship for Teaching Excellence (School of Government; 2004)
David Lawrence Distinguished Professorship (School of Government; 2014)
Grainger Barrett Award for Excellence, Government and Public Sector Section (North Carolina Bar Association; 2016)
Ernest H. Ball Award for Excellence in Municipal Law (North Carolina Association of Municipal Attorneys; 2016). This award was renamed the Ernest H. Ball and Frayda S. Bluestein Award (2021).
Edward Kidder Graham Faculty Service Award (UNC-Chapel Hill; 2022)

Prior to joining the School’s faculty, Bluestein earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a law degree from the University of California at Davis.

Bluestein’s contributions to the School’s faculty cannot be overstated. She served more than a decade as the School’s associate dean for faculty development and was a mentor and friend to many of her faculty peers. Upon her retirement announcement, one colleague described her as “the heart and soul of the School.”

In 2021—as she entered phased retirement from her distinguished faculty tenure—she reflected on what brought her to the School of Government.

“What drew me to this work is that it’s interesting, it affects people in so many ways, and it’s so practical, “she said. “Academia isn’t always practical. At the School, we get to work with people who are in government, but we also help people understand how government works and help people in government make it work well for its community members. I believe in that.”

The School thanks and celebrates Frayda Bluestein for her public service. More details about her life, career, service, and donations in her honor can be found here in her obituary.

Published August 21, 2025