“When it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month or even your year” there’s one thing for sure….Laura Cochran Morris ’75 will be there for you. It doesn’t matter if they are fellow members of the Class of 1975 or years apart, Laura is a champion and cheerleader for her fellow alums and one of Blair’s ultimate connectors. Her deep love for her alma mater and her classmates shines through in everything she does. 

Laura comes from a proud Blair legacy, following in the footsteps of her grandfather, Lloyd Cochran 1918; her father, Jim Cochran ’48; and her brother, James Cochran ’79. Laura’s arrival on the hilltop came as Blair welcomed female students back to campus for the first time in 50 years, after the return to its coeducational roots. She thrived as a day student, diving into sports and activities that filled her schedule to the brim. Laura also served as prefect and member of the Blue & White Key Society and ACTA, but the field is where she left her mark. Laura earned 12 varsity letters during her four-year Blair career and captained the varsity field hockey, basketball and softball teams. Her exceptional talent and leadership earned her three top honors from the School: the Blair Academy Trophy, awarded to the member of the senior class with the highest all-around achievement; the Best Female Athlete award; and the Robert Dalling Prize. She is the first and only female athlete in Blair history to receive this award as the School’s top overall athlete before Blair established the William Zester Memorial Award for the top female athlete and designated the Robert Dalling Prize for the top male athlete. In honor of her many remarkable athletic achievements, Laura was inducted into Blair’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.

During her senior year, Laura’s advisor captured her spirit perfectly, writing, “She loves Blair almost as much as she loves her home and family—and, indeed, this is her second home….She really puts her heart into everything she undertakes.”

After Blair, Laura continued to excel, earning a BA in psychology and secondary education from Bucknell University in 1979. After teaching history at Blair for two years, she completed her MBA at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1987 and served as vice president of CIT Group/Capital Financing until 1993. Laura pivoted to a career in real estate, and she was an active member of many community organizations in her hometown of Wyckoff, New Jersey, while raising her children, Rebecca and Colby, with her husband, Larry.

At the turn of the century, Laura was instrumental in organizing the Three Decades of Women of Blair Academy program, celebrating the outstanding achievements of her fellow female alumni. Laura has faithfully served the School as a class rep since 2010, reunion committee member, Board of Governor and Alumni Trustee. At Alumni Weekend, you’ll always find Laura rallying her classmates, celebrating fellow inductees in the Athletic Hall of Fame or cheering on her Blair family at the Head of School Assembly. Whether she is traveling or home, Laura is always making Blair connections, sharing news and photos of gatherings from Chicago to Amsterdam.

“Laura is smart and organized—a real go-getter,” classmate Anne Cramer ’75 shares. “She’s just this incredibly fun and resilient person. And she does everything with such grace.” 

With heartfelt appreciation for her unwavering dedication to the School and to her classmates—better referred to as friends—Blair Academy proudly recognizes Laura Cochran Morris as the 2025 Alumnus of the Year.