A Spark from Europe
The story of The Seeing Eye began in the 1920s, when American dog breeder Dorothy Harrison Eustis moved to Vevey, Switzerland. There she worked with Elliott S. “Jack” Humphrey, a trainer and geneticist, to develop a scientific system for breeding and training German shepherds.
During World War I, many soldiers were blinded, leading German schools to explore training guide dogs for the visually impaired. Inspired, Eustis wrote an article titled “The Seeing Eye” for The Saturday Evening Post, published on November 5, 1927. Letters soon poured in from people asking how they could obtain a guide dog.
Morris Frank and Buddy
One letter came from 19-year-old Morris Frank of Nashville, Tennessee, who had been blinded in two accidents. He believed a guide dog would restore his independence. Eustis agreed to help, even though she had not trained guide dogs before. In April 1928, Frank met his first partner, a dog named Kiss, whom he renamed Buddy.
After six weeks of training, Frank and Buddy learned to navigate crowded streets, stairs, and obstacles together. On January 29, 1929, Eustis and Frank formally founded The Seeing Eye in Nashville, holding the first class the following month. Frank and Buddy later traveled across the United States demonstrating the value of guide dogs.
Establishing Roots
The program gained momentum quickly. In 1931, The Seeing Eye moved from Nashville to Whippany, New Jersey, and later relocated in 1965 to its current 60-acre campus in Morris Township. The site includes student residences, kennels, a veterinary clinic, and administrative offices.
By 1934, social worker Mary Dranga Campbell had joined as head of the social service division, serving until her retirement 11 years later. In 1968, the organization received more than $1 million from the estate of Kay Francis, strengthening its financial base.
Enduring Milestones
The Seeing Eye became the first guide dog school established outside of Europe and remains the world’s oldest active guide dog institution. In April 2005, a bronze statue of Morris Frank and Buddy was placed on the Morristown Green, depicting Frank giving the “forward command.”
The organization also influenced New Jersey law: after a Seeing Eye puppy named Dusty was attacked and injured by a pit bull, “Dusty’s Law” was signed in 2014, making it a criminal offense to harm a service dog or one in training. In 2020, the Seeing Eye Dog was officially designated as New Jersey’s state dog. In 2021, Jim Kutsch, the first graduate of the program to later become its CEO, was honored with a portrait and statue at the campus during a ceremony attended by former Governor Tom Kean. In 2024, The Seeing Eye celebrated its 95th anniversary.
In the 1920s, Dorothy Harrison Eustis in Switzerland trained German shepherds, never imagining her work would spark a movement.
But when a young man in Tennessee read her article, a letter he sent set events in motion that would change countless lives…🧵👇 pic.twitter.com/QrgesHPXAp
— Fascinating True Stories (@FascinatingTrue) September 25, 2025