In memorium - William P. Blair III
Mr. Blair was the founding President of the Ohio Foundation of the Arts, Inc., a statewide arts service corporation; and is a past President and Executive Committee Member of the Canton Symphony Orchestra, an association he has maintained for over 45 years. In 2019, the CSO honored him for his service to us and the Arts. He has received numerous awards and prizes for work in the arts and humanities including the Cleveland Arts Prize in July 2006 and Americans for the Arts award for state arts Advocacy. He is a recipient of the prestigious Distinguished Service Medal from The Ohio State University and the Heinlen Award from the Ohio State University Alumni Association for his work on behalf of his alma mater.
Mr. Blair is directly responsible for arts organizations existing in the capacity that they do statewide. His efforts have supported the enrichment of countless lives through art and music, for both those who receive and those who create it. He spent his entire life working to prove that access to the arts is a basic human right.
From all of us who are artists, advocates, administrators, and patrons… thank you, Bill. You fought the good fight for us all.
The Canton Symphony Orchestra is proud to permanently honor the late William P. Blair, III through his beautifully restored 1902 Boston Model A Steinway & Sons grand piano. A passionate advocate for the arts, Mr. Blair cherished this exquisite instrument, which once resided in his home library and was played frequently.
On April 17, 2023, the Canton Symphony Orchestra acquired this remarkable piano from his estate sale with the invaluable assistance of Mr. Robert Leibensperger, who provided the funds upfront to ease the CSO’s cash flow. Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of our supporters, we successfully raised $25,000, ensuring the piano remains a permanent part of our musical home. In recognition of this achievement, Mr. Leibensperger has graciously donated the amount he initially provided.
The piano will reside in Foundation Hall, accompanied by a commemorative plaque featuring Mr. Blair’s portrait, his piano, and the founding donors who made this possible. While the opportunity to have a name included on the plaque has now closed, those who continue to support this initiative will be recognized on our donor page.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to this campaign, ensuring that Mr. Blair’s legacy and his profound love of music will inspire generations to come.
Obituary
William P. Blair III passed away on February 2, 2023. Born and raised in Canton, Bill attended The Ohio State University and received the degrees of Bachelor of Arts in History and Government, Master of Arts in Public Administration, and Juris Doctor from the College of Law. Bill was dedicated to his hometown and to his state, and served with distinction as Executive Counsel to the Director of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Canton City Prosecutor, private practice attorney since 1977, and as one of the greatest arts and culture advocates our state has ever seen.
Bill is pre-deceased by his mother Rachel, his father Edmund, and his sister Nancy, and is survived by numerous cousins and extended family, and Godchildren across the country.
Bill’s arts-related achievements have included serving as co-founder, President, legislative counsel, and lobbyist for the Ohio Citizens for the Arts (now Creative Ohio), trustee of Canton Symphony, Cleveland Institute of Music, Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland International Piano Competition, Cleveland Chamberfest, past chairman of the American Arts Alliance, founding Chairman of the Alliance of Arts Advocates, former chairman of the National Cultural Alliance, board member of the American Symphony Orchestra League, and Executive Committee of the Metropolitan Opera National Council. His awards from the arts include receiving the Cleveland Arts Prize, the award for state arts advocacy from Americans for the Arts, the Virtuoso Award from the Ohio Alliance for Arts in Education, and the first “William R. Joseph Medal for Arts Advocacy”, named in honor of Bill’s dear friend and law partner, the late Bill Joseph.
Bill proudly served The Ohio State University as Chair of the Ohio State Advocates, member of OSU’s College of Law and its capital campaign committee, mentor and funder of scholarships for the College of Law, chair of the OSU Government Affairs Advisory Group, and board member of The Ohio State University Foundation. In a world that has known many passionate Ohio State Football fans over generations, Bill was among its most dedicated.
Bill’s service extended beyond the arts and higher education and included his advocacy for support for natural history, zoos, and public broadcasting, and his being founding chairman of the WKSU Advisory Board, member of the Kent Foundation at Kent State University, his role as President of The National First Ladies Library and Museum upon the retirement of its Founder & President the late Mary Regula, member of the Board of Trustees of the Capitol Square Foundation which helped restore Ohio’s State Capitol Building, member of the Stark County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, executive committee member of the Friends of Ohio Governor’s Residence and Heritage Gardens, and member of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Bill’s ability to cross generations and party lines to find common ground and a way forward he believed was best put him in a class of his own. With an indomitable will, discerning tastes, and a pursuit for inspiration from the arts, he served his time on this earth with high conviction and distinction, and will be missed by so many who he touched and connected with along the way. From the halls of the State Capitol, to the seats of his beloved Severance Hall, Blossom Music Center, and Canton’s Umsattd Hall with musical scores in hand, to the classrooms and meeting rooms of his alma mater The Ohio State University and beyond, Bill led a life of significance and singular personality and leaves behind a legacy of friendship, service, and advocacy for public funding for the arts and education that will endure for generations to come.
