After Life of Service, Donors Set Up Scholarship in Son’s Name

We’re not big, big donors, but I think what we do comes completely from the heart. So even though it’s not a big amount, it’s still an important amount.

Bob Blair has spent his life in public service.

Born and raised in Omaha, Bob spent 14 years in Nebraska state and local government before joining the University of Nebraska at Omaha, serving as a researcher at the Center for Public Affairs Research and retiring as a professor of public administration and urban studies after 31 years.

“Being a baby boomer and somebody who grew up in turbulent times, I wanted to give back to society,” Bob said.

A Burnett Society member, Bob received his master’s degree at UNO and his doctorate at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

“My folks did not have a college education,” Bob said. “They were a wartime family, and my father was a blue-collar worker. Education was incredibly important to my folks. I have two sisters and a brother, and all four of us are graduates of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.”

Bob’s wife, Barbara, was born in Wahoo, Nebraska, and also has a degree from UNL.

“Our roots in Nebraska are very, very deep,” Bob said.

Bob and Barbara continued their commitment to giving back when they established a scholarship at the University of Nebraska Foundation in honor of their son, Andrew. A young adult with special needs, Andrew passed away in 2009. Bob said Andrew’s caretakers improved the quality of his life significantly, and he and Barbara wanted to show their appreciation.

“There were social workers and caregivers and therapists who made his life so fulfilling and worthwhile,” Bob said. “And when he passed away, we said, how can we honor his legacy? And that’s when we began to think about the University of Nebraska Foundation.”

UNO graduate students who plan to work in human services and with people with special needs are eligible to receive the Andrew Blair Memorial Fellowship.

“It’s such a wonderful feeling to know that in our son’s memory there are young men and women who are receiving support to work with people in the human services field,” Bob said. “The feeling is indescribable.”

Bob Barb and Andrew Blair pose with their son who sits in a wheelchair.

After establishing the scholarship, Bob and Barbara worked with the foundation to add to their scholarship fund through their estate plans as well as to establish a separate fund supporting KVNO, the classical music station on UNO’s campus.

“We’re not big, big donors, but I think what we do comes completely from the heart,” Bob said. “And it’s something that we feel very strongly about. So even though it’s not a big amount, it’s still an important amount.”