John Leo Blair

Who was John Leo Blair?

John Leo Blair was an American businessman. He was the founder of New Process Company, now known simply as Blair Corporation – a direct market retail company. He was also an author, inventor, a pioneer in direct marketing, and an advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and to Treasury Secretary, Henry Morgenthau, Jr. Several letters and notes exist in company archives, including a letter from Franklin D. Roosevelt, a few from Henry Morgenthau, Jr., and others from Charles Merrill of Merrill & Lynch, Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson and others to support this entry.

Blair was very successful at a relatively young age. He traveled all over the world before the days of airliners. He met Popes Pius XI and Pius XII and was a long-time friend of Cardinal Francis Spellman. Blair contributed significantly to the healing of our nation's economy during the Great Depression and his company has provided employment to many thousands of associates, and has provided billions of quality, affordable products to millions of Americans.