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Trowels
These trowels belonged to stonemason Pete Ferettini and were used for the construction of West Campus in the late 1920s. At that time, all stone was delivered to campus by train from a quarry in Hillsborough and cut by hand. Chisel marks can still be seen on some buildings. James B. Duke's death in October 1925 meant that he never saw the “new” campus realized. His only daughter, Doris Duke, symbolically laid the cornerstone on June 5, 1928, on the family’s behalf. Descendants of the Duke family have remained engaged and generous supporters of the university, and have served as trustees for Duke University and the Duke Endowment. -
Negatives, Photos re: Duke's FIRST Centennial
The year 2024 actually marks Duke's second centennial celebration. Duke celebrated 100 years of being an academic institution in 1938-1939, marking a century since the foundation of Brown’s Schoolhouse, which would become Trinity College in 1859. The celebration included speeches, free food and drinks, and a museum exhibit. The 2024 centennial marks 100 years since Trinity College became Duke University after the Board of Trustees changed the name to honor Washington Duke on December 29, 1924. -
East and West Campus Sketches
The Horace Trumbauer architectural firm sketched many iterations before settling on the architecture we see today. West Campus and East Campus were both designed to have water features and monuments that were never realized due to financial constraints. Today Duke stretches far beyond the original blueprint, with varying architectural styles, from the concrete Edens Quad to the brick Biological Sciences building. -
Printing plate of Duke Alma Mater
Originally titled “Hymn to Trinity” by Trinity College graduate student Robert H. James (T’24), this devotional was later adapted as “Dear Old Duke,” the alma mater of Duke University. Because this is a printing plate, the sheet music and lyrics are depicted backwards. Lyrics: Dear old Duke thy name we’ll sing. To thee our voices raise (we’ll raise),/To thee our anthems ring,/in everlasting praise. And though on life’s broad‒sea,/Our fates may far us bear./We’ll ever turn to thee,/Our Alma Mater dear. -
WDBS Programs
Before WXDU, Duke's radio station today, there was WDUK—and before that, there was WDBS, which broadcasted across the airways from 1950 to the 1970s. WDBS would create programs to advertise the shows students could tune into. For decades, Duke’s radio station has provided listeners with news and tunes from a variety of DJs, sourced from Duke students and the surrounding Durham community. You can tune into WXDU at 88.7 FM. -
Nasher stained glass ornament
The Nasher Museum of Art opened in October of 2005. Its predecessor, the Duke University Museum of Art, was originally founded in 1969 on East Campus, following the acquisition of 200 medieval works from the Ernest Brummer Collection. The new museum was named in honor of the late art collector and benefactor Raymond D. Nasher (T’43). More than a million people have visited the museum since its opening. In 2005, this poster was created for the opening of the museum and a commemorative stained-glass ornament was gifted to Duke staff in 2006. Due to a generous donation in 2022, admission to the Nasher is now free for all visitors. -
Nasher Opening Poster
The Nasher Museum of Art opened in October of 2005. Its predecessor, the Duke University Museum of Art, was originally founded in 1969 on East Campus, following the acquisition of 200 medieval works from the Ernest Brummer Collection. The new museum was named in honor of the late art collector and benefactor Raymond D. Nasher (T’43). More than a million people have visited the museum since its opening. In 2005, this poster was created for the opening of the museum and a commemorative stained-glass ornament was gifted to Duke staff in 2006. Due to a generous donation in 2022, admission to the Nasher is now free for all visitors. -
Duke Viennese Ball Poster
A beloved 48-year-old tradition, the Viennese Ball is Duke University Wind Symphony’s largest fundraising event. Hosted at the Freeman Center, participants are transported to a whimsical night of music and authentic Viennese dances taught by Duke Club Ballroom Dance. The Duke University Wind Symphony is conducted by Verena Mösenbichler-Bryant and is composed of undergraduates, graduates, and Durham community members. -
Hoof'n'Horn 50th anniversary Poster
Hoof ‘n’ Horn is a student musical theater organization founded in 1936 and one of the oldest student organizations at Duke. Hoof ‘n’ Horn produced their first non-student written musical, Anything Goes, in 1952. This program is from their 1986 restaging of Anything Goes, part of Hoof ‘n’ Horn’s fiftieth anniversary, celebrating Duke and Durham’s shared love of musical theater. -
DUMB Drum Cover
Founded in 1906 at Trinity College, the organization now called the Duke University Marching Band (DUMB) has played an important role in the Duke athletic experience, particularly basketball and football. This drum head was used in the 1958 Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida, between Duke and the University of Oklahoma. It was ruptured during practice and signed by drum corps members. In recent years, the Duke Band has added a pre-season band camp and continues to gain recognition throughout the Atlantic Coast Conference. -
Woman's College Student Government Gavel
The Duke Woman’s College, founded in 1930, served as one of the most rigorous academic institutions for women until its 1972 merger with Trinity College. The Woman’s College offered professional and academic guidance for students, welcoming students from thirty-three states and multiple foreign countries. As early as 1935, Duke women were encouraged to create community and participate in student organizations, including the Women’s Athletic Association, the Women’s Orchestra, the student-edited publication Distaff, and the Woman’s College Student Government. This gavel highlights the names of the Woman’s College Student Government Presidents from 1938 to 1954. -
I <3 Shooters Necklace and 2 T-shirts
"Work hard, play hard" has long been the unofficial motto of student life at Duke, from George’s Garage to Ringside to Shooters. Popular nightclub Shooters originally opened in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Following a fire, it relocated to Hillsborough Road in Durham as Shooters II Oyster Bar, before settling at its current location in downtown Durham in 1998. Gaining traction around 2004, it continues to be the go-to space for Saturday night life for many Duke students. -
Celestial Omnibus Coffee House Flyer, 1967
Opened in 1967 as the “Celestial Omnibus Coffee House,” this student-run bar, dining space, and musical programming body was housed in the basement of the Flowers building. Following its closure and then revival in the 1970s, the Duke Coffeehouse (as it’s named today) was tucked away in the Crowell building on East Campus, where it continues to serve late-night coffee and host concerts. It is a well-loved space by those who find themselves drawn to the relaxed environment and music by independent artists. -
Inplant Food Management
While today Duke is known for its robust dining experience, the student dining experience has varied widely over the last 100 years. East Campus previously had three eateries, including “Downunder,” housed in the basement of then all-women Gilbert-Addoms dorm. These dining areas allowed students to gather in different spaces, facilitating social connections in a way very different from dining today. -
East Dope Shop Renovated
While today Duke is known for its robust dining experience, the student dining experience has varied widely over the last 100 years. East Campus previously had three eateries, including “Downunder,” housed in the basement of then all-women Gilbert-Addoms dorm. These dining areas allowed students to gather in different spaces, facilitating social connections in a way very different from dining today. -
Duke Dining "free fruit" tickets
While today Duke is known for its robust dining experience, the student dining experience has varied widely over the last 100 years. East Campus previously had three eateries, including “Downunder,” housed in the basement of then all-women Gilbert-Addoms dorm. These dining areas allowed students to gather in different spaces, facilitating social connections in a way very different from dining today. -
"Star Trek" Comes to Duke Poster
The Duke University Union (DUU) is the largest student organization at Duke and has provided diverse creative events and media since 1954. In 1979, James Doohan, best known for his role as “Scotty” in the TV and film series Star Trek, was hosted by DUU for a presentation on film production and the future of U.S. space travel. -
Women's college placemat - Few Graduate Quadrangle
This placemat depicting the newly-constructed Few Graduate Quadrangle may have been used at the Woman's College. Author and Woman’s College faculty member G. Hope Summerall Chamberlain designed the placemat. Notice the illustrations of dogwoods, now the North Carolina state flower. The Few Graduate Quadrangle was named after President William Preston Few. The creation of this placemat coincides with Duke’s first Centennial celebration, which occurred in the 1938-1939 academic year. -
Faculty Trading Cards
Created by undergraduate students in 2005, these faculty trading cards include details and fun facts about current faculty and serve as promotional material for the Duke Matter Magazine, a publication under the Undergraduate Publications Board. Esteemed faculty members and administrators include Professor Anthony Kelley, Dean Sue Wasiolek, Vice Provost John Brown, and President Richard Brodhead. -
The Launching of Duke University
Robert Durden was professor emeritus of history at Duke and former chair of the history department (1974-1980) who focused on the history of Duke University and the Duke family. This book, affectionately called “Durden” by University Archives staff, details the first twenty-five years of Duke University, including the signing of the Duke Endowment Indenture, the creation of various schools and departments, including the Divinity School, Medical Center, and the Woman’s College, and student social life on campus.
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