Model Mule: Jack Blair III

Muhlenberg is currently boasting some of the largest class sizes in its nearly 170 year history, and each accepted student seems to be more impressive than the last. There is, however, a wealth of past Muhlenberg students that outshine us all. For this week, instead of uncovering an event in Muhlenberg College’s past, I will look into a student in the College’s past. This week’s Model Mule is Jack H. Blair III, ‘38. I had the pleasure and honor of sitting down with Blair’s son, Oakley Blair II. Oakley was welcome and excited to talk about his father and his time at ‘Berg as well as overseas as a paratrooper in World War II.

Jack came to Muhlenberg for one reason: his love for football. After earning a scholarship to Muhlenberg, he was excited to play for one of the best Colleges in the state. He contributed as the left end on the Freshman football team, and eventually played on the varsity football team, baseball team, and was a proud member of Muhlenberg’s Varsity M Club. One of the highlights of his college career was one game in particular: on Nov. 16, 1935, Muhlenberg faced off against Fordham, which ended in a triumphant Muhlenberg victory. However, Fordham’s right guard was one many people will recognize: Vince Lombardi. According to his son, Jack would tell anyone he could that he defeated the great Lombardi. This was just one of the fond memories Oakley recanted.

Oakley told the story of a slight “redecoration” his uncle, also named Oakley, made to his dorm his while he was a student at ‘Berg with Jack. Apparently Oakley didn’t like how his cramped room looked, so he decided to spruce it up with none other than a taxidermy owl on display in the Biology department. Oakley held the owl for quite some time until a surprise dorm inspection would separate the duo. After discovering the missing owl, President Haas suggested that it might be best if he took a semester off. This was the same Haas, or “Pappy” Haas as he was called at the time, that once came up behind a sleeping Jack in the library—the building that now bears his name—and rap his cane on the table. “The library is not a place for sleeping, it is a place for books!” he exclaimed before hobbling away in true “Pappy” fashion.

Leaving behind “the best years of his life,” Jack graduated Muhlenberg College with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism and got a job writing for the New York Daily News. At this time, Jack, like most news writers, was writing solely about one thing: World War II. The war in Europe was growing and American involvement was growing nearer and nearer. Wanting to serve his country to the fullest, he enlisted into the Army 503rd Paratroopers in July of 1941, before an official American declaration of war was made. After months of grueling training at Ft. Benning, GA, Jack finally became a paratrooper and began jumping in 1942.

With many successful jumps already under his belt, Jack had no reason to believe a jump in March 1943 would go anything but smoothly. Sadly he was incorrect and Blair actually broke his ankle on a rough landing, writing back to the College Alumni Secretary saying, “On the last jump a few of the boys had some pretty hard landings–due to the terrific ground winds– consequently, there were numerous broken legs.” Luckily, the cast came off a month later and Blair was unsurprisingly eager to get back in the air. Together with his company (the “best company in the regiment,” his commander would say) Jack and his men were chosen to aid in the Japanese surrender in August of 1945. On top of drawing up maps, taking enemy dispositions, and drafting surrender terms, their most important task was protecting the American diplomats and escorting them to the Japanese front line. Jack’s travels took him everywhere, but his fondest memories were battling over the island of Corregidor and being paired up with an Australian unit.

After fighting in the Second World War longer than the war itself, Blair faced even more struggle coming home. After multiple delays, he had to catch last minute trains to get home in time for Christmas. Blair would make it home on exactly December 25th and would officially leave the Army in early 1947. It wasn’t until a few years later that Blair would put his military uniform back on—this time as a Commander in the Korean War. After commanding the First Battalion of the Third Division’s Seventh Infantry regiment, his final post was in the 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg, NC. After retiring at the rank of Colonel in 1964, Blair moved back home to the family farm and took the next two years building a house that his children and grandchildren still visit today on vacations.

According to our own mission statement, Muhlenberg students should serve to advance their field through “curiosity, creativity and fearless devotion,” and “reach beyond one’s self with empathy, commitment and resolve to improve our world.” Knowing of the long history of Blair’s enthusiasm for serving his Muhlenberg community as well as his country, it is clear to see that John H. Blair III is the embodiment of the Muhlenberg College spirit. Though Blair died in 2001, Oakley said that he visited Muhlenberg as often as possible, and that the biggest highlight of his later life was touring the campus with his granddaughter, Jennifer Blair ‘97, on Accepted Students Day. Oakley said that his father’s first love was Muhlenberg, and that he would have envied our youth and time here. I just hope we are all able to find a piece of Muhlenberg to remember as fondly as Jack Blair remembered his time here all those years later.