[6] He is a fourth-generation member of the Blethen family and the great-grandson of Seattle Times founder Alden J.
[4][7] His parents divorced in 1951, and Frank was sent to live in Scottsdale, Arizona,[8] with his mother and elder sister Diane.
[9] He returned to Seattle in the summers and spent time with his aunts, uncles, and cousins, but rarely saw his father.
[9] Blethen returned to Seattle after the death of his estranged father in 1967, having completed his senior year at Arizona State University.
Blethen took a variety of jobs at the Seattle Times, such as building manager, where he negotiated janitorial and security contracts and oversaw the remodeling of the cafeteria, as well as other positions, before eventually leading the company.
[10][9] He returned to the Seattle Times Company in 1980 and held various executive positions in advertising, circulation, marketing, and labor.