Product Description
by Diana Duty West (Editor), Jeff Davis Duty Jr (Author)
"In the Line of Duty" is the autobiography of Davis Duty, a man from a small town in Arkansas who has led a truly fascinating life. Completely blind from five years old, Davis was determined never to accept his sightlessness as a handicap. He was the first blind child to be mainstreamed in Arkansas public schools and acquired his first Seeing Eye guide dog when he was 17. He earned a Fulbright Scholarship to study at the London School of Economics, where his guide dog's mandatory six-month rabies quarantine captured the heart of the English people and the international press. After graduating from law school, Davis worked under Robert Kennedy in the US Attorney General's Office during the Kennedy Administration in Washington, DC. Upon marrying, he returned to his hometown to join his father in the family law firm, was elected City Attorney and Municipal Judge, and and persuaded the US Supreme Court to permit guide dogs. He was appointed to a Federal judge position in the Social Security Administration and moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where he raised his family. He eventually returned to private law practice in Arkansas. Davis' rich memoir includes cherished family anecdotes from his childhood during World War II, his adolescence in the 1950s, his four marriages, and family life with his two children. His own story is expanded with a genealogical overview of both sides of his family. Each aspect of Davis' amazing life is described with both great humor and serious introspection. Bonus material exploring his political and theological views and several short stories is included. Rich with over 200 photos spanning a hundred years, this book brings to life a fascinating man so that his family, descendants, and the wider world will know and remember him.
Author Biography
Jeff Davis Duty, Jr. (known as "Davis Duty"), was born in Rogers, Arkansas. Blind from age five, he is one of the oldest, active Seeing Eye guide dog users in the world, having received his first dog in 1952. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Arkansas and studied international law as a Fulbright Scholar at the London School of Economics in England. He served elected positions in his hometown of Rogers as City Attorney and Municipal Judge. He was appointed as United States Administrative Law Judge with the Social Security Administration, in which capacity he served from 1975-1984, assigned to Alabama, California, and Arizona. Mr. Duty is an enthusiastic participant in Scottish events throughout the United States and plays the bagpipes in solo piping competitions. He also plays his pipes for various functions, especially weddings and funerals throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma. In addition to being a member of Scottish clans Donald, Ross, and McDuff, he and his wife, Barbara, are both members of the ancient military order of The Knight's of the Temple of Jesus (Knight's Templar), as well as the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association. Both are members of the President's Advisory Council at Lyon College which boasts a Scottish Heritage department. Mr. Duty has written several books on genealogy. He has two children, two stepchildren, and seven grandchildren. Both he and his wife Barbara are avid Razorback fans.
