Home County: Cole County

Terms of Service at the Supreme Court of Missouri: January 1915 – December 1924

Judge James Thomas Blair was born November 11, 1871, in Loudon, Tennessee. At 10 years old, his family moved to DeKalb County, Missouri. He attended public school in Osborn in DeKalb County but returned to Tennessee for his college education. He received a bachelor of arts in 1892 and a bachelor of letters of laws in 1895, both from Cumberland University. He was admitted to practice law in both Tennessee and Missouri (Andrew County), also in 1895. In 1896, he and Robert A. Hewitt formed a law partnership, Hewitt & Blair, in Maysville. From 1903 to 1908, he lived in Springfield, Missouri and practiced law. In January 1909, Blair was appointed assistant attorney general, and served in that capacity until April 1911, when he was appointed as a commissioner with the Supreme Court of Missouri for a four-year term.

Blair served as a commissioner for three years. In November 1914, he was elected as a judge of the Court for a 10-year term  beginning in January 1915. Blair served as the Court’s chief justice from June 8, 1921, to November 11, 1922. His term as a judge of the Court ended December 31, 1924. Blair then resumed the practice of law in St. Louis. He later practiced law in Jefferson City and Springfield.

The Blair family’s contributions within the legal and judicial community were significant. All three of Blair’s sons were attorneys. His son James T. Blair Jr. served as the 44th governor of Missouri. His son Sam C. Blair served as a circuit judge in Cole County. His son William C. Blair served as a probate judge in Cole County. Judge Blair, himself, continued serving in the legal and judicial field until his death. At the time of his death, he was a member of the new state judicial nominating commission established when voters adopted the Missouri nonpartisan court plan into the state constitution.

Judge James T. Blair died April 12, 1944, in Springfield, Missouri. He is buried in Riverview Cemetery in Jefferson City.

Biographical information authored in 2022 by Allison Cathey, University of Missouri-Columbia. 

A.J.D. Stewart, ed. The History of the Bench and the Bar of Missouri, (St. Louis, MO: The Legal Publishing Company, 1898), 508, information courtesy of Google Books, accessed August 3, 2022. 

“Blair to Be Chief Justice,” The Columbia Missourian, (Columbia, Missouri), May 31, 1921, information courtesy of SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed August 4, 2022. 

Charles U. Becker, compiler, Charles U. Becker, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1921-1922, (Jefferson City, MO: Hugh Stephens Co, 1922), 86, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage Website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 1, 2022. 

Cornelius Roach, compiler, Cornelius Roach, Secretary of State, Official Manual of the State of Missouri for the Years 1915-1916, (Jefferson City, MO: The Hugh Stephens Printing Company, 1916), 169, information courtesy of the Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 4, 2022. 

“Democrats Win in State and County,” The Butler Weekly Times, (Butler, Missouri), November 5, 1914, information courtesy of Chronicling America website, image provided by the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessed August 4, 2022. 

“Historical Listing of Missouri Governors,” Missouri History, information courtesy of Missouri Secretary of State website, accessed August 4, 2022. 

 “James T. Blair,” Missouri State Board of Health, Standard Certificate of Death, filed April 28, 1944, information courtesy of Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1971 Database, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 1, 2022. *Note, there is a spelling error on death certificate, with regard to birth place section, Lowden was listed instead of Loudon.

John M. Holmes, reporter, “Memorial to Judge James Thomas Blair,” Reports of the Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, Between May 14, 1951 and April 14, 1952, vol. 362, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens, Publisher, 1952), iii, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed July 26, 2022.

“Judge James T. Blair Died At Springfield,” The DeKalb County Herald, (Maysville, Missouri), April 20, 1944, information courtesy of SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, State Historical Society of Missouri website, accessed August 4, 2022. 

“Missouri State Capital Items,” Morgan County Republican, Versailles, Missouri, April 20, 1911, information courtesy of Chronicling America website, image provided by the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessed August 4, 2022. 

Monroe City Democrat, (Monroe City, Missouri), April 13, 1911, information courtesy of Chronicling America website, image provided by the State Historical Society of Missouri, accessed August 4, 2022. 

“New Supreme Court Justice In January,” Cassville Republican, (Cassville, Missouri), December 3, 1942, information courtesy of SHSMO Digital Newspaper Project, accessed August 4, 2022. 

Perry S. Rader, reporter, Reports of Cases Determined by the Supreme Court of the State of Missouri, Between December 31, 1914 and February 23, 1915, vol. 263, (Columbia, MO: E.W. Stephens Publishing Co., 1915), iii, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 4, 2022. 

Thelma P. Goodwin, editor, Walter H. Toberman, Secretary of State, State of Missouri Official Manual for the Years 1959-1960, (Jefferson City, MO: Von Hoffmann Press, Inc., 1960), 41, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 4, 2022.

Walter H. Toberman, editor, Walter H. Toberman, Secretary of State, State of Missouri Official Manual for the Years 1951-1952, (Kansas City, MO: Smith-Grieves, Printers, 1952), 804, information courtesy of Missouri Digital Heritage website, Missouri State Archives, accessed August 4, 2022.