William Robert Blair II (October 22, 1930 – January 18, 2014)[1] was an American politician, lawyer, and businessman.
Early life
William Robert Blair II was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, on October 22, 1930.[2][3] He was graduated from West Virginia University in 1954, with A.B. and LL.B. degrees. He then served in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General's Corps for two years at Chanute Air Force Base.[4][5] He moved to Park Forest, Illinois in 1957. He became active in local Will County politics as a member of the Will County Public Building Commission and a precinct committeeman the Will County Republican Central Committee. During his early legal career, he served as house counsel for Swift & Company and as a partner of Wood & Blair, while also serving as President of Fairfax Realty Company.[4]
Illinois House of Representatives
The 1960 reapportionment process was stalled by partisan gridlock. Subsequently, the Illinois Supreme Court ordered an at large election for all 177 members of the Illinois House in 1964. Voters were given ballots three feet long.[6] Blair was one of fifty-nine Republicans elected to 177 seats.[4] Blair was a and served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1965 to 1975.[2]
After a 1965 Illinois Supreme Court Case to resolve the redistricting issue, Blair's home was drawn into the 41st district which consisted of Wheatland, DuPage, Plainfield, Lockport, Homer, Troy, Joliet, New Lenox, Frankfort, Manhattan, Green Garden, Monee, Crete, Wilton, Peotone, Will, Washington, townships in Will County. Blair was elected as one of the district's three representatives alongside William G. Barr and John J. Houlihan.[7]
He served as speaker during the 77th and 78th Illinois General Assemblies. He was not reelected in the 1974 general election. After his time in the legislature, he served as a public member of the Illinois Transportation Study Commission.[2]
Post-legislative career
In 1978, he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Illinois Comptroller. Blair ran against John W. Castle, director of the Department of Local Government Affairs for Governor James R. Thompson. Thompson, who had convinced Castle to run for Comptroller instead of Treasurer, endorsed Castle leading Blair to criticize Castle for an inability to do the job independently. With more than 52% of the vote, Castle defeated Blair in the Republican primary.[8][9] In 1982, he ran for the Republican nomination for Illinois Treasurer. He lost the primary to Peoria businessman John Dailey.[10]
Blair died January 18, 2014.
Notes
- ^ Rodriguez, Meredith (January 20, 2014). "Former speaker of Illinois House W. Robert Blair II dies at 83". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on January 22, 2014. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c Redmond, Mary (1980). Mr. Speaker: Presiding Officers of the Illinois House of Representatives 1818-1980. Office of the Speaker of the House. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
- ^ Year: 1940; Census Place: Clarksburg, Harrison, West Virginia; Roll: m-t0627-04408; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 17-21 found via HeritageQuest
- ^ a b c Powell, Paul (ed.). Illinois Blue Book 1965-1966. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 184. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ "W. Robert Blair II Obituary". Chicago Sun-Times. January 21, 2014. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- ^ Devine, Michael J. (2005). "State Politics". Encyclopedia of Chicago. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Historical Society.
- ^ Powell, Paul (ed.). "Representative Reapportionment: Legal Descriptions for Cook County Representative Districts Other Than Cook County". Illinois Blue Book 1967-1968. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois Secretary of State. p. 272 & 327.
- ^ Maher, Sharon (August 1978). "Comptroller, treasurer races — too close to call". Illinois Issues. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ "OFFICIAL VOTE Cast at the GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 7, 1978" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved 25 June 2020.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Kieckhefer, Robert (1982). "Forecast for Thompson's parade". Illinois Issues. 8 (5). Sangamon State University: 4. ISSN 0738-9663. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
