American politician
Anita Lee Blair (September 8, 1916 – August 25, 2010) was an American politician and activist from Texas. She was the first
blind woman elected to any state legislature in the United States.
[1]
Early life and education
Anita Lee Blair was born in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and raised in
El Paso, Texas. She graduated from
Austin High School in that city, in 1933.
[2] She became blind after a car accident at age 19, in
Alamogordo, New Mexico. She earned a B. A. at
Texas College of Mines and Metallurgy in 1944, and later completed a master's degree from
Texas Women's College, in 1951.
[3]
Career
In 1940, Blair became the first person in El Paso to have a
service dog, a
German shepherd named Fawn. The pair became famous beyond Texas while lecturing on traffic safety and accident prevention.
[4]
[5]
[6] In 1946, Blair and Fawn escaped the fatal
La Salle Hotel fire in Chicago; their story highlighted the function of service dogs and was covered in newspapers across the country, and on local television stations in Chicago.
[7]
[8]
[9]
[10] In 1950, Blair successfully protested when Fawn was not allowed into the
United States Senate gallery with her to attend a debate.
[11]
[12]
Blair was elected to the
Texas House of Representatives in 1952, and served one term.
[13]
[14] As a state representative, she worked for a pay increase for teachers, for the renovation of the state school for the deaf, and for the right of women to serve on juries.
[15] She also co-authored a bill requiring jail sentences for
drunk drivers. She lost her bid for re-election in 1954, and in three subsequent elections.
[16]
[17]
In her later years, Blair was a fixture on local
talk radio in El Paso, and at age 86 ran unsuccessfully for county judge.
[18] In 2009, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement BRAVO Award from the League of Women Voters of El Paso.
[19]
Personal life and legacy
Blair married Curtis Reynolds Chartier in 1959, in
Alamogordo, New Mexico.
[20] Blair died in 2010, at age 93. In recognition of her service as a state legislator, her remains were buried in the
Texas State Cemetery in
Austin.
[21]
References
-
^
Marissa Monroy, "Former State Rep., Political Watchdog Anita Blair Has Died," KVIA.com (July 15, 2012).
-
^
House Resolution No. 1539, House of Representatives, 81st Texas Legislature.
-
^
House Resolution No. 309, House of Representatives, 82nd Texas Legislature, adopted February 24, 2011.
-
^
"Safety Crusade is 'Personal' to Anita Blair, 25," Reading Eagle (January 25, 1948): 3.
-
^
"Blind Chicago Girl Thrilled by Award for her Safety Work," Chicago Daily Tribune (December 24, 1947): 3.
-
^
Genevieve Reynolds, "Traffic No Problem for Blind Girl," Washington Post (September 10, 1949): B4.
-
^
"Blind Girl Guided to Safety by Dog: Amid Hysteria of Others She Calmly Walks Fire Escape from Eleventh Floor," New York Times (June 6, 1946): 29.
-
^
Blind Woman, Dog that Saved Her, to Go on TV," Chicago Daily Tribune (June 29, 1952): 24.
-
^
"Dog Helps Blind Girl From Fire," Los Angeles Times (June 6, 1946): 8.
-
^
"Dog Hero of Fire and Girl She Saved Get Honor Scroll," Chicago Daily Tribune (June 8, 1946): 4.
-
^
"Blind Girl and her 'Seeing Eye' Win Right to 'Seat' in Senate," Washington Post (January 6, 1950): 12.
-
^ "Dog Hears Senate Howl; Blind Owner Sees to It," New York Times (January 6, 1950): 11.
-
^
Joseph R. M. Longo, "Sun City's First Woman State Legislator: Part One: Anita Blair, Election of 1952," NewsPaperTree (July 15, 2014).
Archived January 9, 2015, at the
Wayback Machine
-
^ "Blind Woman Wins Election in Texas, Despite Charge She Beat Seeing-Eye Dog," St. Petersburg Times (August 31, 1952): 3A.
-
^
Alex Hinojosa, "Former Legislator, Activist Anita Blair Dies," El Paso Times (August 26, 2010).
-
^
Nancy Baker Jones and Ruthe Winegarten, Capitol Women: Texas Women Legislators, 1923-1999 (University of Texas Press 2010): 130-132.
ISBN
9780292788534
-
^
"Miss Anita Blair Seeks Re-election," El Paso Herald-Post (April 16, 1954): 1. via
Newspapers.com
-
^ Joseph R. M. Longo, "Sun City's First Woman State Legislator: Party Two: Anita Blair's Era in Office," NewsPaperTree (August 6, 2014).
-
^
League of Women Voters of El Paso, Bravo Award recipients.
-
^
"Blind Legislator Bride: Anita Blair Wed in Secret Here," Alamogordo Daily News (December 13, 1959): 1,
6. via
Newspapers.com
-
^
Anita Lee Blair, Texas State Cemetery.