Gordon West Duffy (April 24, 1924 – February 2, 2021) was an American politician and optometrist who served as a member of the

California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The A ...

from 1965 to 1982.

Early life and education

Duffy was born in Hanford, California in 1924. His father was an optometrist. Duffy graduated from Hanford High School in 1942 and then began studies at the University of California, Berkeley. He finished his bachelor's degree in 1944. He then became an Ensign in the United States Navy, serving in the

Pacific War The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...

. He left the Navy in 1946, and studied optometry at the University of California, Berkeley until 1948.

Career

After returning to Hanford, he worked as an optometrist and became involved in local government. He served as a member of the planning commission, on the school board, as a member of the city council and then as mayor of Hanford. He was elected to the

in 1964 and served as an Assemblyman until 1982. He was elected as a Republican. While in office, he was one of the principal authors of California's Emergency Services Act. In 1982, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Secretary of State of California. He then served in the California Cabinet as Secretary of Environmental Affairs and as Chairman of the California Air Resources Board. He later spent 10 years as a consultant on government affairs to various businesses. Duffy died in February 2021 at the age of 96.Gordon West Duffy obituary
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References

1924 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American politicians American optometrists Mayors of places in California Republican Party members of the California State Assembly People from Hanford, California United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of World War II University of California, Berkeley alumni Military personnel from California {{California-CAAssembly-stub