Background
Blair, William Richards was born on November 7, 1874 in County Derry, Ireland. Son of Thomas Wray and Mary (Richards) Blair.
Blair, William Richards was born on November 7, 1874 in County Derry, Ireland. Son of Thomas Wray and Mary (Richards) Blair.
Came to America, 1884. Graduate Kansas State Normal School, 1895. Bachelor of Science, University of Chicago, 1904, Doctor of Philosophy, 1906.
Graduate Signal School of the United States Army, 1923, Command and General staff schedul of the United States Army, 1926.
Principal high school, Pittsburg, Kansas, 1897-1899. Associate in mathematics, State Normal School, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 1900-1902. Assistant instructor University of Chicago, 1903-1906.
Entered government service, October 1906.
Research director in charge upper air research, United States Weather Bureau, June 1907, and of Physical Laboratory, June 1910, and Executive officer in charge Mount Weather Observatory, Virginia, 1912-1914. Professor meteorology, in charge aerology, United States Weather Bureau, 1915-1917.
Commissioned major National Army, 1917. And assigned to Aviation Corps, with American Expeditionary Forces in France.
Transport to Signal Corps, July 1918.
Lieutenant colonel, February 1919. Major in regular army, November 1921, lieutenant colonel, October 1934. Colonel October 1938.
Retired November 1938.
Chief of research and engineering division, Office of Chief Signal Officer, United States Army, Washington, District of Columbia, 1926-1930. Officer in charge Signal Corps laboratories, from 1930.
Technical consultant, from 1929. Chairman technical sub-committee International Common for Aerial Navigation.
Technical advisor International Wireless Commission, Paris, first half 1919.
Meteorologist for the “World Flight,” 1924. Member International Radiotelegraph Conference, Washington, 1927. Member Daniel Guggenheim Committee on Aeronautical Meteorology, 1927-1930.
Member International Radiotelegraph Conference, Washington, 1927. Member Daniel Guggenheim Committee on Aeronautical Meteorology, 1927-1930. Fellow Royal Meteorological Society.
Member International Committee for Scientific Aeronautics, American Physical Society, Philosophical Society Washington, American Society Aeronautic Engineers (Executive Board), Washington Academy Sciences, Academy Political Science, Institute of Aeronautical Sciences (founder-member), Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi, Alpha Tau Omega, American Geography Union, American Radio Union, National.
Club: Cosmos (Washington, District of Columbia).
Married Florence Lyon Smith, October 1909. Children: William Richards, Thomas Wray, Charles Lyon.