RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, William McCormick Blair, Jr., has been called to eternal life by the wisdom of God at the age of 98; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of his passing by Alderman Edward M. Burke; and
WHEREAS, A descendant of two prominent Chicago families, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was a longtime public servant and the loving husband for more than 53 years of Deeda; and
WHEREAS, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was the devoted father of the late William III; and
WHEREAS, Born in Chicago and raised at his family's Astor Street home on the Gold Coast and the family's Crabtree Farm estate in Lake Bluff, William McCormick Blair, Jr., graduated from Stanford University and the University of Virginia Law School; and
WHEREAS, The son of William McCormick Blair, the founder of the privately-held brokerage firm William Blair 8b Company, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was the great-grandson of hardware pioneer William Blair; and
WHEREAS, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was also a descendant of the McCormick family which owned the Chicago Tribune, and his greatgrandfather was the brother of Cyrus McCormick who invented the mechanical reaper; and
WHEREAS, William McCormick Blair, Jr., bravely served his country in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II and was a recipient of the Bronze Star; and
WHEREAS, During the 1940s and 1950s, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was a senior advisor and assistant to Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson and a trusted aide during his candidacies for President in 1952 and 1956; and
WHEREAS, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was appointed Ambassador to Denmark and the Philippines and was the first Director of the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; and
WHEREAS, Known for his eloquence and kindness, William McCormick Blair, Jr., was a Past President of the American Council of Ambassadors; and
WHEREAS, The hard work, sacrifice and dedication of William McCormick Blair, Jr., serve as an example to ...
Click here for full text