Check Availability

James Henry Duke, Jr. was born in Ennis, Texas on Nov. 16, 1928. In his early years, the family moved to Hillsboro, where the enterprising young "Red" picked cotton, dug ditches and became the lone agent for the Saturday Evening Post and the Dallas Morning News, yet still found time to become a Boy Scout, advancing to Eagle Scout.

"Red" graduated from Hillsboro High School and later earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 1950. After a two-year tour of duty as a tank officer in the 2nd Armored Division of the U.S. Army, he went on to earn a divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1955. However, "Red's" lifelong desire to become a doctor prevailed and he enrolled in the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, from which he received his M.D. in 1960. Dr. Duke completed his internship in internal medicine and his residency in general surgery at Dallas' Parkland Memorial Hospital in 1965.

Dr. Duke's academic career began in 1966 as an assistant professor of surgery at UT Southwestern Medical School and later at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. He also took some time to pursue graduate studies in chemical engineering, biochemistry and computer sciences at Columbia University under the auspices of an NIH Special Fellowship.

While Dr. Duke was an assistant professor of surgery in New York, he had the opportunity to move his family and career to Jalalabad, Afghanistan, as a visiting professor, and later chairman of surgery at Nangarhar University School of Medicine from 1970-1972.

After returning from Afghanistan, Dr. Duke joined the faculty of the University of Texas Medical School at Houston where he is a professor of surgery. Among his many responsibilities, Dr. Duke has served as special assistant to the president of the UT Health Science Center and holds one of the distinguished professorships at the UT Medical School as the John B. Holmes Professor of Clinical Sciences. He established Houston's Hermann Hospital Life Flight operations in 1976 and remains the medical director of its trauma and emergency services.

Dr. Duke is a founding member of the American Trauma Society and is an advanced trauma life support instructor for the American College of Surgeons. He was named "Surgeon of the Year' by the James F. Mitchell Foundation in 1988. Dr. Duke's extraordinary efforts to educate the public in health issues and tireless work as a crusader against trauma brought him into serious consideration for the position of Surgeon General of the United States in 1989.

As founder and past president of the Texas Bighorn Society, Dr. Duke is a major supporter of many wildlife conservation groups. He has been the president of the Boone & Crockett Club, the oldest conservation organization in the United States, and the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep.

Not only is Dr. Duke a trauma surgeon and an avid sportsman and conservationist, he also is one of the most recognized television personalities in his field, as determined by the Gallup Organization, Inc. He is the former host of the nationally syndicated "Texas Health Reports" and hosted the former PBS series, "Bodywatch". Dr. Duke has been featured on such programs as PM Magazine, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show and the "Buck James" television series.

Check Availability | Program Descriptions | + Add to Wishlist | Login to email this