William Draper Blair Jr. ’48

The class lost one of its most distinguished members with the death of Bill Blair Aug. 5, 2006.

Bill had two major careers. He worked for the State Department from 1959 to 1980, retiring as deputy assistant secretary for public affairs. During those years he was active in environmental organizations, including the Audubon Naturalist Society and the Nature Conservancy. Bill served as president of the Nature Conservancy, a land preservation organization, from 1980 to 1987.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Bill joined us via Hotchkiss. At Princeton he won the English prize, dined at Cottage, and was in the Press Club. After graduating magna cum laude in 1949, he was married and joined the Baltimore Sun. As a Sun war correspondent, he was sent to Korea, where he picked up a bullet in the chest and a Purple Heart. In 1953 he joined Newsweek to become bureau chief in Bonn and Paris before being recruited by the State Department.

His family's longtime home in Washington became what is now known as Blair House,

a place where visiting White House dignitaries stay.

Bill is survived by Jane, his wife of 57 years; daughters Jane and Liz; and four granddaughters. In recent years Jane and Bill divided their time between Washington and Vinalhaven, Maine. The class conveys its condolences and shares in this loss.