U of A Remembers Alumnus, Philanthropist, Prominent Arkansan Jim Blair

James "Jim" Burton Blair, an alumnus, philanthropist, former general counsel for Tyson Foods and prominent Arkansan, passed away on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. He was 90 years old.

He is remembered for his gregarious personality, incredible generosity and tremendous impact on the state of Arkansas.

"Jim Blair was one of a kind, a true Arkansas original whose intellect and love for this state were matched only by his generosity," said Chancellor Charles Robinson. "He believed deeply in the power of education to transform lives and strengthen communities, and his impact on the University of Arkansas will endure far beyond his lifetime. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and many friends."​

Blair was known for living large, and he befriended, mentored and worked with a rich cask of monumental Arkansas and national decision makers, including business tycoons, politicians and even a president of the United States. According to his family, he was a man of infinite passions, especially books, art, education, politics, the stock market and women.

A celebration of his life was recently held Dec. 17 at his beloved Fayetteville Public Library.

On Sunday, Jan. 18, a public screening of James Burton Blair, Nothing but the Truth: The Improbable Life of an Arkansas Giant will be shown in his honor at Springdale Public Library at 1:30 p.m.

Memories of Blair are also being shared online, and highlights reflecting his legacy were featured on KUAF's Ozarks at Large and through the Barbara and David Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History's Arkansas Memories Project.

His impact will live on in the many lives and communities he supported, reflecting the words he hand-selected for his tombstone: "I am content in my belief that I've done more good than harm."

Bookish Beginnings

Blair was born on Oct. 27, 1935, in Elkins. He was raised by his paternal grandparents, Rufus, a grocer and fruit stand proprietor, and Bessie Blair, a schoolteacher, in a house that still stands on School and Meadow streets in Fayetteville.

They raised their precocious grandson by instilling in him responsibility and a strong work ethic. They nourished his insatiable quest for knowledge, gained early on by his desire to read books on every subject.

He began reading by age three, and as he got older, he would regularly visit the Fayetteville Public Library. He and the librarian had an agreement that he could take as many books as he could stuff in the cardboard box he'd bring, as long as he returned them.

He would repay the favor later in life with a $5 million gift to the library, the largest gift ever to a public library in Arkansas.

Blair began taking college credit courses and graduated from the U of A at age 19. Two years later, he finished law school as well. "I had a flair for taking tests," Blair said. "I always was the fastest reader in my class. I could cram the night before an exam and pretty much remembered everything."

Setting Legal Precedent and Learning to Lead

In 1957, Blair began working in Springdale with attorneys Courtney Crouch and Lewis Jones. Blair was the lead attorney in 1959 in a defamation and slander case against a national publishing company, Dun & Bradstreet. It was a David-and-Goliath match, but Blair and his legal associates won.

The law firm would later become Blair, Cypert, Waters and Roy, representing poultry companies and "80% of the businesses in Springdale."

Blair was hired in 1979 by Don Tyson as general counsel for Tyson Foods and stayed in that role for 21 years, the only person to hold that position in the 20th century. In the 1970s, Blair met a young law professor at the U of A, Bill Clinton, and his soon-to-be wife, Hillary Rodham.

Divorced from his first wife, Margaret Ann Gibson, Blair and his girlfriend and later wife, U of A professor Diane Kincaid, developed a fast and impactful friendship with Bill and Hillary.

"Mr. Blair, close associates of Mr. Clinton say, has had a hand in every important decision of Mr. Clinton's political career," wrote the New York Times in 1994. "An informal liaison to the state's powerful business community, he helped Mr. Clinton cope with a host of local issues from education to a long-running dispute over nuclear power."

Making an Indelible Mark

Blair devoted much of his life to public service. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1968 and 1972. He was vice president of the Clinton for President committee in 1992.

He served for nine years on the Arkansas Board of Higher Education and 10 years on the U of A Board of Trustees, including two years as chair.

In addition to providing the largest gift ever to a public library in Arkansas, his other major gifts include, but were not limited to, major donations to KUAF Public Radio; Life Styles, Inc.; Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota; the Walton Arts Center; and the U of A.

Pillar of the U of A Community

At the U of A - in addition to being a 1955 B.A. graduate, a 1957 School of Law graduate and serving on the U of A Board of Trustees - Blair was also a member of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century Steering Committee and the Fulbright College Campaign Committee.

Additionally, Blair was a life member of the Arkansas Alumni Association and was awarded the Chancellor's Medal by the U of A, as well as being named Outstanding Alumnus by the Law School.

"Jim Blair had a rare ability to bring people together around ideas that strengthened public life," said Scott Varady, vice chancellor for advancement. "He brought curiosity, generosity and conviction to his work and through his leadership and philanthropy, helped shape the University of Arkansas and countless organizations across the state in enduring ways. We celebrate his life and legacy."

At the U of A, Jim and Nancy supported so much, including the Barbara and David Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, KUAF Public Radio, Razorback Band and its scholarships, Mullins Library Special Collections and the University Press.

He also supported the James Burton Blair Family Foundation Inc. and the Lee Williams Fellowship in Public Service, along with funds for the U of A Alumni Association License Plate Scholarship, the Old Main Clock Tower, the Chancellor's Society, the Law Review Academy, the Starr Piano Competition and the Biscoe C. Hindman Fund.

Creating the Diane Divers Blair Chair in Political Science

In 2004, Blair made a $750,000 gift to establish the Diane Divers Blair Chair in Political Science in the U of A's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, housed in the center that is also named in her honor.

Blair's late wife, noted political science scholar Diane D. Blair, was professor emeritus of political science at the U of A, where she taught for 30 years prior to her death in 2000.

Blair's gift was matched by another $750,000 from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation's $300 million gift to the university in 2002. Investment returns on the total endowment of $1.5 million continue to be used to enhance teaching, research and service programs conducted by the holder of the Blair Chair.

In 2001, the U.S. Department of Education approved $2.5 million to establish the Diane Blair Center for the Study of Southern Politics and Society at the U of A. The funding was included at the Arkansas Congressional delegation's request in the 2001 Labor/Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill.

The Blair Center, also established within the U of A's Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, coordinates research, archival and publishing efforts devoted to knowledge about Arkansas and the South.

"Jim Blair had a lifelong love of literature and learning and of making both more accessible to the larger community," said Brian E. Raines, dean of Fulbright College. "This extended to the U of A, Fulbright College and our outstanding Blair Center. Through it, he has created a legacy that will forever impact and better the lives of future Arkansans and help us fulfill our mission of being a vital public good that prepares students to lead and thrive in a complex world."

A Beloved Family Member and Friend

Blair was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents; his wife, Diane Divers Blair; his brother, John Troutman; and sisters Shirley Wharton and Dr. Patricia Blair.

Survivors include his loving wife, Nancy Beth Horton Blair of the home; daughter Heather Blair and husband Aaron Lav of Chicago, Illinois; daughter Arden Sue Blair and husband Ken Clark of Columbia, Maryland; son, James R. Blair and wife Vivian Blair; and granddaughter Maggie of Ft. Worth, Texas; stepson Bill Kincaid and wife Missy Kincaid of Fayetteville; and step-grandchildren Emory Kincaid of New York City and Sydney Kincaid of Fayetteville; stepdaughter Kathryn Kincaid Jong of Fayetteville and step-granddaughters Sarah Jong of Little Rock and Katie Jong of Athens, Georgia; stepson Treigh Williams of Marshall and step-grandson Mason Williams of Bentonville; stepdaughter Elizabeth Williams of Fayetteville; step-grandchildren Ashton and Cole Weaver of Fayetteville; and sisters Jan Blair of Columbia, Missouri, and Peggy Marsh of Oceanside, California.

To sign the online guest book, please visit bernafuneralhomes.com.