Edens Special Announcement

Edens Special Announcement

University President A. Hollis Edens (President from 1949 to 1960) sent this letter to Duke faculty the day before he announced his resignation. Paul M. Gross, Vice President of the Division of Education, drafted a proposal to increase the scope of his own role, allowing him to promote Duke’s national standing. The secrecy of the proposal’s creation created tension between Gross and President A. Hollis Edens. As a result, Edens resigned, and Gross resigned shortly thereafter. The Gross-Edens affair resulted in administrative restructuring to ensure a clear designation of responsibilities. One result was the creation of the Office of the Provost, chief academic officer. Duke’s decision to create the position followed peers, such as Brown University, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins, MIT, and Yale University. There have been 12 provosts in Duke’s history. Duke’s current provost is Alec Gallimore, who began on July 1, 2023.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 DEED

1961

Edens Special Announcement Memo, 1960, Gross-Edens Affair Reference Collection, Box 1, Clippings, Correspondence, Memos 1960 Folder, Duke University Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Typed memo concerning an announcement from President A. Hollis Edens.

A. Hollis Edens

1961