Robert C. Duffy (May 13, 1903 – December 9, 1974) was an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

coach and lawyer. He was the 20th head football coach at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving for two seasons, from 1927 to 1928, and compiling a record of 6–9–1. After serving in World War II, he practiced law in Philadelphia and was elected Register of Wills as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yug ...

. Duffy was born in Binghamton, New York in 1903. He graduated from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

in 1926, where he was an All-American football and basketball player. He later received his law degree from

Dickinson Law School Penn State Dickinson Law, formerly Dickinson School of Law, is a public law school in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. It is one of two separately accredited law schools of The Pennsylvania State University. According to Penn State Dickinson Law's 2019 A ...

in 1929. While at Dickinson, he coached the football team there. His overall coaching record at Dickinson was 6–9–1. In 1930, he moved to Philadelphia to take up the practice of law. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, Duffy was assigned to the T13th Transport Squadron, nicknamed "The Thirsty 13th," from September 1942 until January 1945, first as the Intelligence Officer, and then the Executive Officer—right-hand man of the Commanding Officer, in New Caledonia, New Hebrides, and Biak. According to various squadron members: "Duffy was like a father to us. If you needed something, Duffy would get it done." "He was the backbone of the squadron." "The mentor of everyone was Bob Duffy, and everyone hung out with him and played cards with him." "The men loved Major Duffy.""The Thirsty 13th," 2011, by Seth P. Washburne, page 404. After the war, Duffy returned to his law practice in Philadelphia. He also became involved with politics there as a Republican and was elected Register of Wills in 1953. While in office, he served as chairman of the Republican City Committee from 1953 to 1956. He did not run for re-election as Register of Wills in 1957, but continued his private law practice. Duffy also remained involved with football, serving as director of the College Football Hall of Fame and a trustee of the Pop Warner Conference. He died in 1974, at the age of 71.

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* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duffy, Robert 1903 births 1974 deaths Dickinson Red Devils football coaches Lafayette Leopards football coaches Lafayette Leopards football players Dickinson School of Law alumni United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces officers Pennsylvania lawyers Pennsylvania Republicans County officials in Pennsylvania Sportspeople from Binghamton, New York 20th-century American lawyers