Abstract
The radial velocity behavior and chemical compositions of sixty-two blue metal-poor (BMP) stars have been established from more than 1200 echelle spectra obtained at Las Campanas Observatory from 1992 through 1999. Analysis of survey spectra provides abundances for this sample, which we use to calibrate the K line versus B-V relation. Forty-four of the stars have [Fe/H] < - 1, while eighteen lie on -1 < [Fe/H] < 0. One star, the SX Phe variable CS 22966-043, appears to be the most extreme example of a rare abundance class characterized by alpha-element deficiencies, high [Cr/Fe], [Mn/Fe], and [Ti/Fe], and extremely low [Sr/Fe] and [Ba/Fe]. Of the 62 stars, 17 appear to have constant radial velocities, while 42 are definite or probable members of binary systems. The binary fraction of BMP stars appears to be independent of chemical composition.