Before John Blair ever stepped into a University Health Services exam room at Oklahoma State University, he was marching across campus with a tuba strapped to his shoulders.

In 1986, the Clayton, Oklahoma, native joined the Cowboy Marching Band as a freshman. OSU was already a family tradition. His father and siblings were graduates, so Stillwater felt like home long before Blair arrived as a student.

After one year, though, Blair left OSU and returned to southeast Oklahoma to help care for his father. He enrolled in paramedic school, launching what became a 30-year career in emergency medicine.

“It all comes down to relationships,” Blair said.

That mindset carried him from ambulance rides to serving as ER director at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center when it became a Level 1 trauma center. He later moved into the medical industry, relocating to Virginia for two decades.

Stillwater, however, never loosened its grip.

When his daughter, Hayley, was choosing a college during the uncertainty of COVID-19, OSU “just felt right,” Blair said. His son, Ben, followed.

A visit during Homecoming turned into a home purchase, and the Blairs returned to the community that first shaped them.

After industry shifts during the pandemic, Blair went back to school, earning his master’s in nursing and passing his advanced practice registered nurse exam in December.

Now, he sees 18 to 20 students a day at UHS, treating everything from flu cases to fractures.

“I think Stillwater takes care of its students,” Blair said. “It’s one of the friendliest towns. You just kind of fall in love with it when you get here.”

For Blair, the Cowboy Way is simple: build relationships, serve others and show up when you’re needed.

“I never would have dreamed I’d end up working here,” Blair said. “But I’m grateful I did.”

Photo by: Ellie Piper

Story by: Page Mindedahl | STATE Magazine