Jack Blackburn, Revered Admission Dean, Dies at 67
January 21, 2009 — John A. Blackburn, who as dean of admission at the University of Virginia since 1985 helped pave the way to a better life for thousands of minority and low-income students, died of cancer Tuesday at his home in Charlottesville. He was 67.
A soft-spoken, gentle man, Blackburn was known for his holistic admissions philosophy – one that viewed each potential student as a multi-faceted individual whose grades and standardized test scores were just pieces of a far larger puzzle. He looked for the talents and qualities each student would contribute as he built each incoming class of U.Va. students.
