Thomas E. Duff
Thomas Edward Duff was an American city manager.
Early life
Duff was born on September 22, 1922, in Willimantic, Connecticut to John C. and Mary (Moreland) Duff. He graduated from the Norwich Free Academy in 1941 and enrolled in American International College.
Military service
In October 1942 Duff joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps so that he could remain in college until he was called to ACTIVE duty. In January 1943, he and seven of his teammates from the AIC football team were accepted into the 10th Mountain Division. On March 3, 1943, the Enlisted Reserve Corps were called to active duty by President Franklin Roosevelt. Duff was processed at Fort Devens and sent to Camp Hale. He was assigned to the 87th Infantry Regiment and in May 1943 was sent to Fort Ord for amphibious training.
On August 18, 1943, Duff and the 87th Infantry Regiment landed in the first wave on Kiska. In June 1944 they were shipped overseas to Italy. On February 19, 1945 they attacked Mount Belvedere as part of Battle of Monte Castello. On March 4 he was wounded and transported to the 70th General Hospital in Naples. He was shipped back to the United States in May on the USAHS Shamrock and hospitalized at Fort Pickett. He was honorably discharged on April 16, 1946.
Education
Duff completed his undergraduate studies at Middlebury College, earning a bachelors degree in political science. In 1950, he earned a masters degree in public administration from Syracuse University.
Municipal management
From 1951 to 1957, Duff was Town Manager of Middlebury, Vermont. He then held the same position in Claremont, New Hampshire for the next two years. In 1959 he became the first Town Manager of Andover, Massachusetts. His contract was not renewed after his five-year term expired due to his support of a controversial urban renewal plan.
From 1965 to 1976 he was city manager of Barre, Vermont. From 1968 to 1971, he also served on the Governor's Economic Advisory Council for Vermont. In 1973, he was awarded the Municipal Government Man of the Year Award by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns.
In 1978, Duff became Town Manager of Saugus, Massachusetts. He then served in Milton, Vermont, where he remained until his retirement in 1982.
Later life and death
After leaving politics, Duff ran Tom Duff Real Estate in Barre, Vermont. He died on December 14, 2007 in Berlin, Vermont.