Diane Blair

Diane Frances Divers Kincaid Blair (October 25, 1938—June 26, 2000) was an American political scientist who specialized in the politics and government of Arkansas as well as on women and politics. She was a professor of political science at the University of Arkansas from 1968 to 1997. She befriended Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton shortly after their arrival in Fayetteville, and was appointed to several public service positions by a succession of governors of Arkansas, including Bill Clinton. Blair remained close to the Clintons throughout her life, including working as a researcher on both of Bill Clinton's presidential campaigns. As President, Bill Clinton appointed Blair to chair the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society, at the University of Arkansas, was named after her.

Early life and education Blair was born on October 25, 1938, in Washington, D.C. After graduating, she worked in Washington, D.C., In 1967, Blair completed an M.A. degree in political science at the University of Arkansas. She became an assistant professor there in 1979, In 1988 Blair published Arkansas Politics and Government: Do the People Rule? For the book Arkansas politics and government, Blair won the 1991 Virginia Ledbetter Award, awarded for the best book on Arkansas history or culture. In 2000, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Arkansas. In 2019, Blair was named to the Arkansas Women's Hall of Fame.

Blair died in 2000. Political scientist Todd Shields is affiliated with the center.

Selected works Silent Hattie Speaks: The Personal Journal of Senator Hattie Caraway (1979) Arkansas Politics and Government: Do the People Rule? (1988)

Selected awards Virginia Ledbetter Award (1991) Outstanding Professional Achievement Award, Midwest Women's Caucus for Political Science (1998) Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Arkansas (2000)