Robert A. Duffy Jr.
Cite this Page
"Robert A. Duffy Jr.," White House Workers History Project, White House Historical Association, 2026, https://whha.whirlihost.com/Detail/workers/963.
- Positions
- Chauffeur
- Transportation Specialist
- Years in President's House
- 1941 – 1978
- Legal Status
- Free Person
- Gender
- Male
- Race/Ethnicity
- White
- Biography
- Robert A. Duffy Jr. was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on August 2, 1915. (1) Duffy served in the U.S. Army with the 31st Infantry Regiment in Manila and by the end of 1941, he was assigned to the White House garage in Washington, D.C. (2) He worked as chauffeur on staff, and drove “many notables, including Mrs. [Eleanor] Roosevelt, Harry Hopkins, and the Crown Princess of Norway.” (2) He continued to work at the White House after World War II, eventually becoming superintendent of the White House garage. (3) In this role, he managed 41 cars and trucks. (4) Later, he was the Residence Staff transportation specialist, overseeing all of the travel logistics of presidents, their families, and the press via automobile, airplane, boat, and train. By the time he retired in 1978, he had traveled “over three million miles” with eight presidents and earned presidential certificates recognizing his service from both Lyndon B. Johnson and Jimmy Carter. (5) Outside of his career, he was a member of veterans groups like the Disabled American Veterans, as well as social and fraternal organizations. Robert Duffy died on April 28, 1987, and was buried at Washburn Street Cemetery in Scranton, Pennsylvania. (6)
- (1) Robert A Duffy Jr in the Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966, Ancestry.com. Pennsylvania, U.S., Veteran Compensation Application Files, WWII, 1950-1966 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015.
(2) “Duffy Brothers in Armed Forces,” The Tribune (Scranton, Pennsylvania), December 15, 1941, pg. 12.
(3) “Attack is Fatal to Sgt. Duffy,” The Tribune (Scranton, Pennsylvania), January 27, 1962, pg. 5.
(4) “Chore Boys See That White House Hums,” The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, Ohio), July 16, 1957, pg. 4.
(5) “Robert Duffy Jr.,” The Tribune (Scranton, Pennsylvania), April 30, 1987; U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations (Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations) Vol. 1 (1974), pg. 47-48; “Transportation Specialist,” Undated, Folder: Personnel (Residence) – [Position Descriptions], Office of the Executive Residence: Usher’s Office: Records, 1981-1989, Ronald Reagan Library.
(6) “Robert Duffy Jr.,” The Tribune (Scranton, Pennsylvania), April 30, 1987. - Birthplace
- Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA