William Sterett Adair, 78, member of the editorial staff of The Dallas News for thirty-one years and widely known for his authorship of weekly historical sketches of pioneers who built Texas, died at 11:45 p.m. Monday at his home, 4133 Cole avenue.  Though he had been ill more than a week, his death was unexpected and came as a shock to his associates.
     Mr. Adair was born at Hawesville, Ky., and educated at Lexington for the practice of law, but after coming to Texas in 1876, soon after forsook the bar to follow newspaper work.

Once Edited Own Weekly.
     He followed varied pursuits, chiefly connected with the publishing industry, before joining the staff of The News. For a time, he was connected with the State Fair of Texas Association, and once he published a weekly paper in Dallas.
     At one period, he took up the practice of law, and for a time, was in a partnership with Barry Miller, former Lieutenant Governor of Texas.  Also, he worked on a San Antonio newspaper for a time.

Nephew of Colonel Sterett.
     He was a nephew of the late Col. William Greene Sterett, widely known political and editorial writer for The News, and bore his family name.
     In the last few years, Mr. Adair frequently commented on the changes that have taken place in Texas journalism since 1876.

Reluctant to Drop Pencil.
     The change from the pencil to the typewriter in the city newsroom was one that Mr. Adair noticed most.  He had given long years of service in which reporters wrote all their stories by hand, and he abstained from using a typewriter for some time after they had come into general use.
     For the last several years, he had been on special assignment, the best known of which, were his weekly stories of early-day Texas, and in which he developed a historical accuracy that made them of great value to research workers.
     Mr. Adair is survived by his wife, two sons, John R. Adair of Dallas and E. L. Adair, Opelousas, La.; a brother, John Adair, and two sisters, Mrs. Mary Johnson and Miss Eliza Adair, all of Hawesville, Ky., and four grandchildren.