Private First Class William Blair Jr. is a Notable burial at https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/dallasftworth.asp.  He was born in 1921 in Dallas. He served in the army, and it is said he was the youngest African American to serve as first sergeant in World War II. In 1946 he pitched on Negro League baseball teams the Indianapolis Clowns and Detroit Stars. In 1949, he founded Southwest Sports News, which published college athletics nationwide. Later it was reformatted to become Elite News, with a focus on political, social and economic topics important to the North Texas black community. For his athletic, journalistic, and civil rights accomplishments, the City of Dallas renamed Rochester Park "William 'Bill' Blair Jr. Park" in 2011. Blair donated his business papers and Negro League memorabilia to the University of Texas at Arlington. He died April 20, 2014.  https://www.thehistorymakers.org/biography/william-blair-jr.
*The preceding content is not intended as a comprehensive biography, but it highlights their significance as a result of military or civilian distinction, lasting achievements, or association with impactful national events. 

Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery

William Blair was a standout in the Negro Baseball Leagues. But his greater contributions have been made as a newspaper publisher, businessman and political kingmaker in the Dallas community.

Among his accomplishment was the creating of the largest Martin Luther King Jr. parade in the entire country. He began the event with less than 100 people. Now it attracts a crowd of more than 250,000 each year. It is the largest such tribute to Dr. King in the entire country.

Politicians of all colors and backgrounds still seek out William Blair for his advice concerning their attempts for elected office. His closest relationships are with members of the faith community that have made the newspaper he founded, The Elite News, one of the most respected in the entire Southwestern United States.

WILLIAM BLAIR JR

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