William McCormick "Bill" Blair Jr. (October 24, 1916 – August 29, 2015) was an American diplomat who served as

United States Ambassador to Denmark The first representative from the United States to Denmark was appointed in 1827 as a Chargé d'Affaires. There followed a series of chargés and ministers until 1890 when the first full ambassador ''(Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten ...

from 1961 to 1964 and as

United States Ambassador to the Philippines The ambassador of the United States of America to the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Sugo ng Estados Unidos sa Pilipinas) was established on July 4, 1946, after the Philippines gained its independence from the United States. The ambassador t ...

from 1964 until 1967. A lawyer, he also was a close associate of Adlai Stevenson. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws (L.L. D.) degree from

Whittier College Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...

in 1964.

Early life

Blair was a son of Helen Hadduck (Bowen) and

William M. Blair William McCormick Blair (May 2, 1884 – March 29, 1982), was an American financier. Early life William McCormick Blair was born May 2, 1884, in Chicago. His father, Edward Tyler Blair, was the son of William Blair, who founded the first wholesal ...

, who co-founded the

investment banking Investment banking pertains to certain activities of a financial services company or a corporate division that consist in advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of individuals, corporations, and governments. Traditionally associated wit ...

firm

William Blair & Company William Blair & Company ("William Blair") is American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company focusing on investment banking, investment management, and private wealth management. The firm currently reports $17 b ...

. He graduated from the

Groton School Groton School (founded as Groton School for Boys) is a private college-preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts. Ranked as one of the top five boarding high schools in the United States in Niche (2021–2022), it is affiliated ...

in 1935,

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, and the University of Virginia Law School in 1947.

Personal life

On September 9, 1961, in the chapel at

Frederiksborg Castle Frederiksborg Castle ( da, Frederiksborg Slot) is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II ...

Hillerød Hillerød () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 35,357 (1 January 2022)Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...

, Ambassador Blair married Catherine "Deeda" Gerlach (born 1931), the former wife of oleomargarine heir Charles Clarke Jelke and the only daughter of Norman Harbridge Gerlach (1904–1980), a partner in the Chicago law firm Gerlach & O'Brien, and his wife, the former Joanna Powell. Deeda Blair (who was later a subject of portraits by

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...

) was named director and vice-president of the

Lasker Foundation The Lasker Awards have been awarded annually since 1945 to living persons who have made major contributions to medical science or who have performed public service on behalf of medicine. They are administered by the Lasker Foundation, which was f ...

in 1965 and is a noted advocate for public health issues. Blair and his wife relocated from Washington, D.C. to New York City. Blair died on August 29, 2015 at his home in Manhattan at the age of 98.

Family tree

References

External links

United States Department of State: Ambassadors to Denmark
* ttp://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/blair.html PoliticalGraveyard- William McCormick Blair
SmokersHistory bio page on the Blairs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, William Mccormick Jr. 1916 births 2015 deaths McCormick family Ambassadors of the United States to Denmark American financial businesspeople Ambassadors of the United States to the Philippines Place of birth missing Groton School alumni Stanford University alumni 20th-century American diplomats