  In preparation for GLAST, we have compiled a sample of blazar candidates to
increase the pool of well studied AGN from which GLAST counterparts will be
drawn. Sources were selected with our Figure of Merit (FoM) ranking; thus, they
have radio and X-ray properties very similar to the EGRET blazars.
Spectroscopic confirmation of these candidates is in progress, and more than
70% of these objects have been identified as flat spectrum radio quasars and BL
Lac objects. We present ~250 new optical blazar identifications based on
McDonald Observatory spectroscopy, 224 with redshifts. Of these, 167 are in our
FoM-selected set.
  To motivate the Gamma-ray nature of these objects, we analyzed the current
release of the EGRET data for possible point sources at their radio positions.
We develop two distinct methods to combine multiple EGRET observations of a sky
position into a single detection significance. We report a detection of the
signal of the set of blazar candidates in the EGRET data at the > 3 sigma level
by both techniques. We predict that the majority of these blazar candidates
will be found by GLAST due to its increased sensitivity, duty cycle and
resolving power.
