Talented Tuesday ~ Buddy Blair

Louis Nathan "Buddy" Blair was born in Columbia, Mississippi on September 10, 1910 to the marriage of Peter Blair and Clarinda Barnes.  He and his family moved to Sicily Island where he graduated from Sicily Island High School in 1931.

While in high school, Blair excelled in sports and was named the high school state champion in javelin and pole vault.

His sports career at Louisiana State University included three letters in basketball, three letters in baseball and three letters in track.  In 1933, the LSU track team won the National Collegiate Title and Blair was named All American in Javelin.

1933 LSU Track Team - Buddy Blair, standing next to Coach Bernie Moore

On April 13, 1935, the LSU basketball team defeated the Pittsburg Panthers in the American Legion Bowl held in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The final score was 41-37 with Buddy Blair scoring the game high of 20 points.






In 1936 Blair signed with the New York Yankees and played in the minor leagues at Norfolk and at Binghampton in 1937.  He was selected as an All-Star both years. 


Blair later played with the Newark Bears in the International League in 1938 before finally being called up to the major leagues in 1941 with the Philadelphia Athletics in the American League.




WWII ended his short career in the major league.  After serving three years in the United States Army Air Corps, Blair managed minor league teams in Vicksburg, Mississippi and Alexandria, Louisiana. 

He and his wife, Elizabeth made their home in Ouachita Parish where Blair operated a sporting goods store for several years.

In 1981 Blair was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame for Track and Field.




Louis Nathan "Buddy" Blair passed from this life on June 7, 1996.  He is buried alongside his wife in the Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe, Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.  Tombstone photograph is courtesy of Sharon Ray at FindAGrave.com

LSU photographs from LSUSports.net