John Blair Jr.
| John Blair | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States | |
|
In office September 30, 1789 – October 25, 1795 |
|
| Appointed by | George Washington |
| Preceded by | Seat established |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Chase |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 17, 1732 Williamsburg, Virginia, British America |
| Died | August 31, 1800 (aged 68) Williamsburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Father | John Blair, Sr. |
| Education |
College of William and Mary (BA) Middle Temple |
| Signature |  |
John Blair Jr. (April 17, 1732 – August 31, 1800) was an American politician, Founding Father and jurist.
Blair was one of the best-trained jurists of his day. A famous legal scholar, he avoided the tumult of state politics, preferring to work behind the scenes. But he was devoted to the idea of a permanent union of the newly independent states and loyally supported fellow Virginians James Madison and George Washington at the Constitutional Convention. His greatest contribution as a Founding Father came not in Philadelphia, but later as a judge on the Virginia court of appeals and on the U.S. Supreme Court, where he influenced the interpretation of the Constitution in a number of important decisions. Contemporaries praised Blair for such personal strengths as gentleness and benevolence, and for his ability to penetrate immediately to the heart of a legal question.
Born in Williamsburg, Virginia, Blair was a member of a prominent Virginia family. John Blair, Sr., his father, served on the Virginia Council and was for a time acting Royal governor. His granduncle, James Blair, was founder and first president of the College of William & Mary. Blair attended William & Mary, receiving an A.B. in 1754. In 1755 he went to London to study law at the Middle Temple. Returning home to practice law, he was quickly thrust into public life, beginning his public career shortly after the close of the French and Indian War with his election to the seat reserved for the College of William and Mary in the House of Burgesses (1766–70). He went on to become clerk of the Royal Governor's Council, the upper house of the colonial legislature (1770–75).
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