Mary Virginia Blackmon was born in Washington, Georgia, the third child to Nannie Mae and Eddie Blackmon. Mary received her A.B. degree from Georgia State College for Women and taught at Cedartown High School for four years. She received her master's degree in physical education/related art from the University of Tennessee.

In 1959, Mary Blackmon joined the faculty of Columbus College where she taught education and physical education classes. She also coached volleyball, tennis, and cheerleading. In her 28-year career, she organized the first Intercollegiate Athletic Program for Women, started and coached the first women’s tennis teams. As coach, she took the tennis team to three state championships and the volleyball to 200 plus wins prior to the beginning of the Title IX Movement. She retired in 1987 as Professor Emerita and joined the staff of the Family Counseling in the Big Brother-Big Sister Division.

Mary Blackmon was honored as ‘A Georgia Women Sport Trailblazer’ for championing the cause of equal right for women in athletics and professionally. She was also the first female and charter member of the Columbus State University Athletic Hall of Fame and had the tennis facility on campus named in her honor. In 2013, she was inducted into the Washington High School Hall of Fame.