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Pictorial Bulletin of Duke University College of Engineering
This bulletin covers the College of Engineering’s civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering opportunities. Due to World War II, the bulletin demonstrates a clear relationship between the college and the military, with quotes on the value of civil engineers in the army, how navigation courses are useful for air and sea duty, and highlights on the mechanical engineering aeronautics concentration. The bulletin exclusively features men; however, the first women engineers, Marie Foote Reel and Muriel Theodorsen Williams, enrolled in the college in the early 1940s, graduating in 1946 -
WWII Military patches worn by Duke alums
Worn by Duke alumni during World War II, these military patches represent branches of the U.S. military: Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy. Many students gained military training by joining divisions like the Duke Naval Reserves Officer Training Corps and the 65th General Hospital Unit. Cooperative relationships with the government fostered a surge in engineering studies and advanced experimental research in chemistry, medicine, and other disciplines. Identifying markers in each of the patches include the Navy’s ship wheel, the Marines’ anchor and seahorse, and an Air Force troop carrier plane. -
Divinity School Integration Petition
The Divinity School was the first part of Duke to advocate for integration. In their 1948 petition, they argue for the admission of Black students to their school, wanting to give Black Christians the same chance at preparing for ministry and stating that other seminaries in the South have already started to integrate. The 1948 petition and another in 1956 were given to the Board of Trustees and President A. Hollis Edens, but failed to sway either. The graduate and professional schools desegregated in 1961, with the undergraduate schools following shortly after in 1962. Ruben Lee Speakes was the first Black student enrolled in the Divinity School in 1961. -
1949 Bus Boycott Photograph
When Duke Power, the campus bus provider at the time, increased bus fares by 5 cents, students erupted in protest, declaring “Shoe Leather Day,” a campus-wide boycott of buses. In one of the earliest instances of activism at Duke, students walked and carpooled between East Campus and West Campus. A 1993 article would later write that “the nation knew of students roller-skating, using pogo-sticks, and riding in the cars of faculty members.” Buses ran empty as the protest stretched from a day to a week. Ultimately, the protest was unsuccessful and Duke Power maintained the fares. -
Roller Skate
When Duke Power, the campus bus provider at the time, increased bus fares by 5 cents, students erupted in protest, declaring “Shoe Leather Day,” a campus-wide boycott of buses. In one of the earliest instances of activism at Duke, students walked and carpooled between East Campus and West Campus. A 1993 article would later write that “the nation knew of students roller-skating, using pogo-sticks, and riding in the cars of faculty members.” Buses ran empty as the protest stretched from a day to a week. Ultimately, the protest was unsuccessful and Duke Power maintained the fares. -
Bus Boycott Newspaper
When Duke Power, the campus bus provider at the time, increased bus fares by 5 cents, students erupted in protest, declaring “Shoe Leather Day,” a campus-wide boycott of buses. In one of the earliest instances of activism at Duke, students walked and carpooled between East Campus and West Campus. A 1993 article would later write that “the nation knew of students roller-skating, using pogo-sticks, and riding in the cars of faculty members.” Buses ran empty as the protest stretched from a day to a week. Ultimately, the protest was unsuccessful and Duke Power maintained the fares. -
Wartime Menu
This wartime menu depicts Duke dining choices for students during World War II. Rationing of items such as meat, sugar, butter, and canned goods was common. Unemployment during this time was high, while prices and wages were low. A filet mignon steak worth 50 cents would amount to $9.33 in 2024. Specials include the “co-ed special,” a peanut butter, jelly, and lettuce sandwich. -
The Glass Menagerie playbill
Duke Players is Duke's oldest student theater organization. It has been producing shows since 1920, although the organization was not officially founded until 1931. This production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie took place in Page Auditorium in 1949, following the play’s premiere in 1944. -
"The Glass Menagerie" script page 38, script cover,
Duke Players is Duke's oldest student theater organization. It has been producing shows since 1920, although the organization was not officially founded until 1931. This production of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie took place in Page Auditorium in 1949, following the play’s premiere in 1944. -
Frangible bullet photographs of testing
Various departments, professors, and researchers were mobilized to help with the war effort in the 1940s. Professor Paul M. Gross of the Chemistry department spearheaded research to design the frangible bullet, which allowed aerial gunners to practice their aim without facing the damaging ricochet effects of traditional bullets. The research produced at Duke was instrumental in allowing the military to refine their shots and be more effective on the battlefield. -
Photograph of frangible bullet usage
Various departments, professors, and researchers were mobilized to help with the war effort in the 1940s. Professor Paul M. Gross of the Chemistry department spearheaded research to design the frangible bullet, which allowed aerial gunners to practice their aim without facing the damaging ricochet effects of traditional bullets. The research produced at Duke was instrumental in allowing the military to refine their shots and be more effective on the battlefield. -
42 RoseBowl Tickets
Until 2021, the 1942 Rose Bowl was the only one held outside of Pasadena, California. Due to concerns about potential bomb strikes in California during World War II, the Rose Bowl was moved to Durham, in what is now Wallace Wade Stadium. Following their four-year undefeated streak, Duke would record their first loss, a 3-7 fall to Oregon State. -
Army Finance Officer Candidate School
The Army Finance Officer Candidate School was one of many units at Duke that was established during World War II under the leadership of President Robert Flowers. Duke had established a V-12 program, which sought to produce excellent officers to supplement the war effort. Today, Duke hosts ROTC units for aspiring future officers in the Army, Air Force, and Navy.
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