Copyright Arkansas Online
Your browser does not support the audio element. Jim and Nancy Blair welcomed former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and about 400 more of Jim's closest friends for his 90th birthday bash on Oct. 27. The festivities were held at the Fayetteville Public Library Blair Library, or "the library that Jim built," as David Johnson, the library's executive director called it. The naming of the library came after Blair announced a $3 million gift in 2022 as construction was underway to build the new library. He made the gift in honor of his late wife, Diane Divers Blair and his grandmother and aunt. Johnson told those gathered that lead gift helped the library win the coveted national Library of the Year award sponsored by Library Journal and Thompson/Gale Publishers in 2005. The Blairs have contributed an additional $2 over the years to support expansion and other gifts to the library foundation. Johnson announced a $90,000 gift that evening from the Blairs to establish a permanent endowment titled The Blair Notable Author Series. The income generated from the endowment will provide long-term funding for visiting author events at the library. The fete featured the premier of "James Burton Blair, Nothing But the Truth: The Improbable Life of an Arkansas Giant," a film by Larry Foley, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. "My life goals have been to do more good than harm, to create and leave a legacy and a mark on the world," Blair stated in the film. The larger-than life Arkansas icon is widely known as a mental and physical giant, visionary and philanthropist. His impact on local, state and national politics is renowned. The documentary recounts his modest beginnings as a child being raised in Fayetteville by his grandparents Bessie and Rufus Blair after his mother abandoned him at six months old. The Fayetteville library was an essential part of his young life as he took home a cardboard box fullof books, which he completed each week. The film details the Arkansas icon's many endeavors that included his rise as a young stock market investor; Springdale lawyer with Courtney Crouch; National Democratic Committee member appointed by President Clinton; and Tyson Foods general counsel. Along with the library, the Blairs' prolific philanthropic pursuits have led to large-scale positive change for a number of nonprofit organizations that include Life Styles, Inc. and the University of Arkansas. The evening ended with closing remarks from the Clintons who announced that John Tyson and Barbara Tyson, upon hearing of the Blairs' gift, will also donate $1 million to help generate revenue for the Blair Notable Author Series. The Tyson family previously donated $3 million in support of Fayetteville Public Library's 2021 expansion that included the Randal W. Tyson Children's Library. President Clinton concluded the evening, saying to his dear friend, "Your life has been a marvel. It has been a gift to us. Every single day I will be grateful to you. I love you." For more event photos -- nwaonline.com/photos/society.
