Duke University

Duke University is a prestigious private university in Durham, North Carolina. It is named for the Duke family, which made its money in the tobacco and energy businesses (see American Tobacco Company and Duke Power).

The university has two schools for undergraduates - Trinity College of Arts and Sciences and the Pratt School of Engineering.

Duke University also has several graduate and professional schools: the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the Fuqua School of Business, the School of Law, the Divinity School, and the Graduate School.

The school's sports teams are called the Blue Devils. They compete in the NCAA's Division I-A, and in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Duke's major historic rival, especially in basketball, has been the Tar Heels of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Duke is often refered to jokingly as "The Gothic Wonderland."

Famous students

• Richard Nixon 37th president of the United States
• Elizabeth Dole United States Senator, North Carolina
• Kenneth Starr former United States Solicitor General, former U.S. appeals court judge
• Edmund Pratt former CEO of Pfizer, philanthropist
• Lee McGeorge Durrell author, television presenter, zookeeper
• Annabeth Gish actress, X-Files
• Grant Hill professional basketball player

Chief Executives

Union Institute:

• 1838-1842: Brantley York, President
• 1842-1851: Braxton Craven, President

Normal College:

• 1851-1859: Braxton Craven, President

Trinity College:

• 1859-1863: Braxton Craven, President
• 1863-1865: William Trigg Gannaway, President Pro Tempore
• 1866-1882: Braxton Craven, President
• 1883-1884: Marquis Lafayette Wood, President
• 1887-1894: John Franklin Crowell, President
• 1894-1910: John Carlisle Kilgo, President
• 1910-1924: William Preston Few, President

Duke University:

• 1924-1940: William Preston Few, President
• 1941-1948: Robert Lee Flowers, President
• 1949-1960: Arthur Hollis Edens, President
• 1960-1963: Julian Deryl Hart, President
• 1963-1969: Douglas Maitland Knight, President
• 1969-1985: Terry Sanford, President
• 1985-1993: H. Keith H. Brodie, President
• 1993-2004: Nannerl O. Keohane, President
• 2004-: Richard H. Brodhead, President

External Links

• Duke University
• Duke Athletics

Referenced By