The Experiment: Duke Meets Edgemont
A Different Kind of Off-Campus Housing
In the fall of 1966, Duke University rented two houses in Edgemont for the purpose of housing Duke students. Undergraduates would apply to participate in the Living-Learning Project during the academic year. The initiative was based upon the Christian principle of being a good neighbor. Students weren't given many rules, but were expected to integrate into the Edgemont community.
As expected, there was a wide spectrum of involvement. Students found it difficult to fulfill their academic obligations and give themselves fully to the experiment. And because the program was so loosely structured, it was easier to prioritize academics.
In fact, there was a push to design a course for the Experiment to provide structure and academic guidance. In the final year of the program, Dr. Donald Roy (sociology) and Dr. Richard B. Kramer (psychology) jointly taught a course in Edgemont. As Curt Lauber mentions, they were the only "outside" people who came into the Experiment.
