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 Joseph
M. Boyd, Jr., J.D., was born in Dyersburg, Tennessee.
He graduated with a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University
which he attended on a Naval ROTC scholarship. After
serving the first 18 months of his Naval service on
an aircraft carrier, he attended the Naval Intelligence
School and was assigned to the Pentagon as a briefing
officer for the Chief of Naval Operations. After active
Naval duty, he returned to Vanderbilt Law School, where
he served as Assistant Managing Editor of the Vanderbilt
Law Review. He graduated from law school with a Doctor
of Jurisprudence degree, passed the Tennessee bar exam,
and moved to Dyersburg where he worked for the State
of Tennessee as a Senior Area Planner and ran an urban
renewal program. Later he served as Executive Director
of the Dyersburg Housing Authority. In these jobs he
worked extensively with community groups, initially
averaging about one speech per week. He then resumed
full time law practice and continued that until he became
District Attorney General. In 1992, he moved to Nashville
to assume the position of Chief Counsel for the Tennessee
Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation,
from which he retired in 1995. While in Dyersburg, Joe
served as Instructor in Law for the University of Tennessee
Extension Service, and taught part time for 17 years
at Dyersburg State Community College. After retirement
he taught part time at Volunteer State Community College
and later at Southeastern Career College, where he still
teaches paralegal courses as an adjunct faculty member.
He has been active through the years in many community
activities. He served as president of the Dyersburg
Jaycees, held two offices in the Tennessee Jayees, and
served on the board of the U. S. Jaycees. He fulfilled
his lifelong desire to learn to fly when he took flying
lessons and achieved a pilot's license in only two months
time. Later he earned a Commercial Pilot license and
an Instrument Rating. As part of his interest in flying,
he joined the Civil Air Patrol, and has served actively
in the CAP since 1965 except for a few years during
which he was sending his three children to college.
He has held numerous offices in the CAP, and presently
is national Chair of the New Madrid Earthquake Planning
Group comprised of representatives of CAP Wings which
could be affected by a major earthquake in this area.
He was co-authro with his wife of several articles published
in aviation magazines. After his retirement from full
time work with the State, he resumed his life-long interest
in astronomy, and joined the Barnard-Seyfert Astronomical
Society. He has just completed two terms as president
of that group. He has worked closely with the Vanderbilt
Department of Physics and Astronomy as well as with
other astronomical groups. He participates in many outreach
programs such as public star parties, speaking to school
and church groups about astronomy, and setting up his
telescope at numerous events for both children and adults.
"It is still a thrill when a child looks into my
telescope and says 'Wow' or "Cool'. You know you
have had an impact when you hear those words."
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