History of Duke University in Timeline
Duke University, located in Durham, North Carolina, is a private research university with roots tracing back to 1838. Originally founded in Trinity, NC, by Methodists and Quakers, it relocated to Durham in 1892. A pivotal moment occurred in 1924 when James Buchanan Duke established the Duke Endowment, leading to the university being renamed in honor of his father, Washington Duke. Duke is recognized for its academic excellence and research contributions.
1900: Washington Duke's Final Donation
In 1900, Washington Duke made his final $100,000 contribution to Trinity College, continuing his support under the condition that the college be open to women on an equal footing with men.
1903: Washington Duke Withdraws Provision
In 1903, Washington Duke rescinded his stipulation for equal footing for women at the college, noting it was his only condition on a donation.
1903: Engineering Taught at Duke
In 1903, engineering was first taught at Duke.
1904: Women Enrolled in the College
By 1904, 54 women were enrolled in Trinity College.
1910: William Preston Few Appointed
In 1910, William Preston Few was promoted as the new president of Trinity College, who sought to establish the university as a southern counterpart to Yale and Harvard.
1924: Duke Endowment Established
In 1924, James B. Duke established The Duke Endowment with a $40 million trust fund to benefit hospitals, orphanages, the Methodist Church, and four colleges, including Trinity College, which was subsequently renamed Duke University.
1924: Trinity College Renamed
In 1924, Trinity College was renamed Trinity College
1925: Duke stone quarry purchased
In 1925, Duke University Comptroller Frank Clyde Brown identified and purchased a local quarry in Hillsborough for Duke stone, which was used in construction to achieve an antique effect.
1925: East Campus Rebuilt
In 1925, Duke's East Campus was rebuilt with Georgian-style buildings.
1927: East Campus Rebuilt Completed
In 1927, the rebuilt of Duke's East Campus with Georgian-style buildings was completed.
1928: Sections of the Rubenstein Library constructed
In 1928, initial sections of what would become the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library were constructed. These sections would be renovated in 2015.
1930: West Campus Building Completion
By 1930, the majority of Collegiate Gothic-style buildings on West Campus were completed.
1930: Duke Chapel Construction Start
Construction of Duke Chapel began in 1930, built from Duke stone.
1930: East Campus as Site of Women's College
From 1930, East Campus served as the site of the Women's College.
1930: Duke University Hospital established
In 1930, Duke University Hospital, a 957-acute care bed academic tertiary care facility, was established in Durham, North Carolina as the flagship teaching hospital for Duke University Health System.
1930: Woman's College Established
In 1930, the Woman's College was established as a coordinate to the men's undergraduate college.
1931: Duke Forest established
In 1931, Duke Forest was established, consisting of 7,044 acres just west of West Campus. It is the largest private research forest in North Carolina.
1934: President's Residence Completed
In 1934, the university president's official residence, the J. Deryl Hart House, was completed.
1935: Duke Chapel Construction Completed
Construction of the Duke Chapel was completed in 1935.
1935: Duke Chapel Completed
In 1935, construction on Duke's West Campus culminated with the completion of Duke Chapel.
1938: First buildings erected at Duke University Marine Laboratory
In 1938, the first buildings were erected at the Duke University Marine Laboratory, located on Pivers Island in Beaufort, North Carolina.
1939: Creation of Pratt School of Engineering
In 1939, Duke's board of trustees established the Pratt School of Engineering.
1939: Engineering Becomes a Separate School
In 1939, Engineering became a separate school at Duke.
1942: Duke Hosts Rose Bowl
In 1942, Duke hosted the first Rose Bowl ever played outside of California in Wallace Wade Stadium.
1947: Edmund T. Pratt Jr. Graduates
Edmund T. Pratt Jr., who would later donate $35 million to the school of engineering, graduated in 1947.
1948: Construction of Hudson Hall
Hudson Hall, the oldest engineering building at Duke University, was constructed in 1948.
1948: Additional sections of the Rubenstein Library constructed
In 1948, additional sections were added to the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library. These sections would be renovated in 2015.
1948: Divinity School Desegregation Petition
In 1948, divinity school students petitioned for the desegregation of the divinity school, initiating the first effort to desegregate Duke's admission policy.
1961: First Black Graduate Students Enrolled
In 1961, Duke enrolled its first black graduate students.
September 1963: First Black Undergraduates Admitted
In September 1963, Duke admitted its first black undergraduates.
1963: Undergraduate College Desegregated
In 1963, the Board of Trustees officially desegregated the undergraduate college.
November 1964: Martin Luther King Jr. Speaks at Duke
In November 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at Duke University on the progress of the Civil Rights Movement.
1964: National Academy of Engineering Founding
Since the founding of the National Academy of Engineering in 1964, over 30 Duke alumni and faculty members have been elected as members.
1966: Teaching Staff Integrated
In 1966, Duke's teaching staff became integrated, ending the all-white composition.
1966: Duke Lemur Center founded
In 1966, the Duke Lemur Center was founded inside Duke Forest. It spans 85 acres and houses a sanctuary for rare and endangered primates.
1969: Terry Sanford Elected President
In 1969, Terry Sanford, former governor of North Carolina, was elected president of Duke University, leading to the opening of The Fuqua School of Business, the completion of the William R. Perkins library, and the founding of the Institute of Policy Sciences and Public Affairs.
1972: East Campus Discontinued as Site of Women's College
In 1972, East Campus stopped functioning as the site for the Women's College.
1972: Woman's College Merged with Trinity
In 1972, the separate Woman's College merged back with Trinity College as the liberal arts college for both men and women.
1980: Duke University Hospital Finished
In 1980, Duke University Hospital was completed.
1986: Men's Soccer Team Wins NCAA Championship
In 1986, the Duke men's soccer team captured Duke's first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) championship.
1991: Men's Basketball Team Wins NCAA Championship
In 1991, the Duke men's basketball team won an NCAA championship.
1992: Hudson Hall Renamed
In 1992, Hudson Hall was renamed to honor Fitzgerald S. "Jerry" Hudson (E'46).
1992: Men's Basketball Team Wins NCAA Championship
In 1992, the Duke men's basketball team won an NCAA championship.
1995: Freshmen Housing on East Campus
Starting in the 1995–96 academic year, all freshmen at Duke—and only freshmen—began living on East Campus to build class unity.
1999: Pratt School Named
In 1999, the engineering school was named after Edmund T. Pratt Jr. following his $35 million donation.
2000: Trinity curriculum revised
In 2000, Trinity's curriculum operated under the revised version of "Curriculum 2000", which aimed to help students develop critical faculties and judgement by learning how to access, synthesize, and communicate knowledge effectively.
February 2001: Duke initiates "Building on Excellence" strategic plan
In February 2001, Duke University began its five-year strategic plan, "Building on Excellence," which involved $835 million in major construction projects.
2001: Duke ranked among top universities for scholarships
From 2001 to 2011, Duke has had the sixth highest number of Fulbright, Rhodes, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships in the nation among private universities.
2001: Stanley Hauerwas Named 'America's Best Theologian'
In 2001, Time named Stanley Hauerwas, a leading theologian at Duke's divinity school, "America's Best Theologian".
2001: Men's Basketball Team Wins NCAA Championship
In 2001, the Duke men's basketball team won an NCAA championship.
2002: Completed projects from "Building on Excellence"
Since 2002, completed projects as part of the "Building on Excellence" strategic plan included major additions to the business, law, nursing, and divinity schools, and other new facilities.
August 2004: Opening of FCIEMAS
In August 2004, the Fitzpatrick Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine and Applied Sciences (FCIEMAS) opened its doors to encourage interdisciplinary activities.
November 2005: "Building on Excellence" strategic plan completed
In November 2005, Duke University completed its five-year strategic plan, "Building on Excellence", with $835 million spent on 34 major construction projects.
2005: Opening of the Nasher Museum of Art
In 2005, the Nasher Museum of Art, designed by Rafael Viñoly, opened at Duke University, housing over 13,000 works of art.
May 2006: Mapping of the Final Human Chromosome
In May 2006, Duke researchers mapped the final human chromosome, marking the completion of the Human Genome Project and making world news.
June 2006: AIDS Vaccine Research
In June 2006, reports surfaced about Duke researchers' involvement in new AIDS vaccine research.
2006: Duke Lacrosse Rape Hoax
In 2006, the Duke lacrosse rape hoax began, involving false accusations against three men's lacrosse team members by Crystal Mangum, garnering significant media attention.
April 11, 2007: Charges Dropped in Lacrosse Case
On April 11, 2007, North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper dropped all charges against the three lacrosse players in the Duke lacrosse rape case, declaring them innocent and stating they were victims of a "tragic rush to accuse."
2010: Men's Basketball Team Wins NCAA Championship
In 2010, the Duke men's basketball team won an NCAA championship.
2010: Center for Measuring University Performance Ranking
The 2010 report by the Center for Measuring University Performance puts Duke at sixth in the nation.
2011: Duke ranked among top universities for scholarships
From 2001 to 2011, Duke has had the sixth highest number of Fulbright, Rhodes, Truman, and Goldwater scholarships in the nation among private universities.
2011: Duke Ranked Most Beautiful Campus
In 2011, Travel+Leisure listed Duke among the most beautiful college campuses in the United States.
2012: Forbes Ranking of 'Power Factories'
Forbes magazine ranked Duke seventh in the world on its list of 'power factories' in 2012.
2012: Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Robert Lefkowitz
In 2012, Robert Lefkowitz, along with Brian Kobilka, shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work on cell surface receptors.
2012: Duke Cancer Center opens
In early 2012, Duke Cancer Center opened next to Duke Hospital in Durham, consolidating nearly all of Duke's outpatient clinical care services.
2013: Family Income of Duke Students
As of 2013, the median family income of Duke students is $186,700, with 56% of students coming from the top 10% highest-earning families and 17% from the bottom 60%.
2013: Researcher Arrested for Embezzlement
In 2013, a researcher at Duke was arrested on charges of embezzling funds from the university, related to scientific research misconduct.
2013: Construction and transformations around campus
In 2013, construction projects included transforming buildings like Gross Hall and Baldwin Auditorium, and new construction such as the Events Pavilion which served as temporary dining space while the West Campus Union underwent renovations.
2013: Kiplinger's Ranking
Kiplinger's 50 Best Values in Private Universities 2013–14 ranks Duke at fifth best overall after taking financial aid into consideration.
April 2014: School of Nursing opens new addition
In April 2014, the School of Nursing at Duke University opened a new 45,000 sq ft addition to the Christine Siegler Pearson Building.
May 2014: Dedication of the Orrin H. Pilkey Marine Research Laboratory
In May 2014, the newly built Orrin H. Pilkey Marine Research Laboratory was dedicated at the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina.
2014: BusinessWeek Ranking of Fuqua School of Business
BusinessWeek ranked Duke's Fuqua School of Business full-time MBA program first in the nation in 2014.
2014: Aycock Name Removed
In 2014, Duke removed the name of Charles B. Aycock, a white supremacist governor of North Carolina, from an undergraduate dormitory, which is now known as the East Residence Hall.
2014: 75th Anniversary of Pratt School
The Duke University Pratt School of Engineering celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2014–2015.
August 2015: David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library reopens after renovations
In August 2015, the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library reopened after about $60 million in renovations to sections of the building built in 1928 and 1948.
2015: Nobel Prize in Chemistry for Paul Modrich
In 2015, Paul Modrich shared the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of mechanism of DNA repairs.
2015: Men's Basketball Team Wins NCAA Championship
In 2015, the Duke men's basketball team won an NCAA championship.
2015: 75th Anniversary of Pratt School
The Duke University Pratt School of Engineering celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2014–2015.
December 2016: Duke University purchases 300 Swift apartment complex
In December 2016, Duke University purchased an apartment complex, now known as 300 Swift, located between East and West Campus to house upperclassmen.
2016: Duke's Ranking by The Washington Post
In 2016, The Washington Post ranked Duke seventh overall based on the accumulated weighted average of the rankings from various sources.
2016: Forbes Ranking of Billionaire-Producing Universities
In a 2016 study by Forbes, Duke ranked 11th among universities in the United States that have produced billionaires and first among universities in the South. Also, Forbes ranked Duke sixth on its list of "Expensive Schools Worth Every Penny" in 2016.
2016: West Campus Union renovations expected to be completed
The major renovations to Duke University's West Campus Union were expected to be completed in the spring of 2016.
August 2017: Duke Forward Fundraising Campaign Completed
In August 2017, Duke Forward, a seven-year fundraising campaign, raised $3.85 billion.
August 19, 2017: Robert E. Lee Statue Removed
On August 19, 2017, the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was removed from the entrance to Duke University Chapel after being vandalized by protesters, following violent clashes at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
2017: Epworth Dorm Discontinued
Epworth—the oldest residence hall, built in 1892 as "the Inn"— has not been used as a student dorm since the 2017–2018 school year.
July 2018: Guinness World Record for Fuel Efficiency
In July 2018, Duke engineering students achieved a Guinness World Record by inventing the world's most fuel-efficient vehicle. The fuel cell-powered vehicle achieved an equivalent of 14,573 miles per gallon.
2018: Epworth Dorm Discontinued
Epworth—the oldest residence hall, built in 1892 as "the Inn"— has not been used as a student dorm since the 2017–2018 school year.
2018: Undergraduate housing on Central Campus ends
In 2018, Duke University ended the housing of undergraduates on Central Campus after the 2018-2019 school year, and the respective buildings were later demolished.
2019: Academic Ranking of World Universities
Duke was ranked 28th best globally by the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) in 2019.
2019: Undergraduate housing on Central Campus ends and buildings demolished
Following the 2018-2019 school year, Duke University ended undergraduate housing on Central Campus. In 2019 the respective buildings were subsequently demolished.
2019: Research Spending
In 2019, Duke University spent more than $1.2 billion on research.
2019: Settlement for Research Misconduct
In 2019, Duke paid $112.5 million to settle False Claims Act allegations related to scientific research misconduct, involving a researcher falsifying or fabricating research data to win grants for financial gain.
2019: Average need-based grant for students
The average need-based grant for Duke University students in the 2019–20 academic year was $54,255.
2019: Central Campus Housing Discontinued
Until 2019, Central Campus provided housing for over 1,000 students in apartment buildings.
August 2020: DKU Undergraduates Arrive
In August 2020, the first undergraduates from Duke Kunshan University arrived for their study abroad on Duke's campus. Chinese Duke undergraduate and graduate students unable to travel to the United States were reciprocally hosted at Duke Kunshan campus due to COVID-19.
2020: Mitchell Scholars
As of 2020, Duke has produced 8 Mitchell Scholars.
2020: Duke adopts a test-optional policy
During the 2020-21 academic year, Duke University began adopting a test-optional policy.
2020: Duke ranked generous to students
In 2020, Duke University was ranked first on the Chronicle of Higher Education's list of "Colleges That Are the Most Generous to the Financially Neediest Students."
2021: Student Body Demographics
As of fall 2021, Duke's student body consists of 6,789 undergraduates and 9,991 graduate and professional students.
2021: Global Employability Ranking
In 2021, Duke ranked 34th in the world and 12th in the country on Times Higher Education's global employability ranking.
2021: Duke's Ranking in Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings
In 2021, Duke was ranked fifth in the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings, rising five places from the previous year. Additionally, Duke was ranked second for student outcomes, tied with Harvard, M.I.T., and Stanford.
2021: Second Rose Bowl played outside of California
In 2021, the second Rose Bowl was played outside of California in Arlington, Texas, moved as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021: Opening of the Wilkinson Building
In early 2021, the Wilkinson Building, a 150,000-square-foot facility, opened for classes. It provides new spaces for education and research related to improving human health, advancing computing and intelligent systems, and sustainability.
2021: NIH Funding for Duke
In fiscal year 2021, Duke received $608 million in funding from the National Institutes of Health, ranking third in the nation.
2022: Legacy admissions at Duke
A 2022 survey found about 22% of first-year students were the child or sibling of a Duke alumnus.
2022: Churchill Scholarships
As of 2022, Duke graduates have received 20 Churchill Scholarships to the University of Cambridge.
2022: Duke's Research Ranking by NSF
In 2022, the National Science Foundation ranked Duke 9th among American universities for research and development expenditures with $1.39 billion.
2023: Economic Diversity Ranking
In 2023, The New York Times described Duke as the least economically diverse top-ranked college in the U.S.
2023: School of Medicine acceptance rate and scores
In 2023, the School of Medicine received more than 7,000 applications and accepted approximately 2.9% of them, while the average GPA and MCAT scores for accepted students in 2023 were 3.92 and 520, respectively.
2023: Yield rate for the Class of 2023
The yield rate for Duke's Class of 2023 was 54%.
June 30, 2024: Duke's endowment market value reported
Duke's endowment had a market value of $11.9 billion as of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024.
December 11, 2024: Mangum Admits False Story
On December 11, 2024, Crystal Mangum admitted during a podcast interview that she "made up a story that wasn't true" about the white lacrosse players who attended a party where she was hired as a stripper.
December 2024: Mangum Admits False Story
In December 2024, Crystal Mangum admitted during a December 11, 2024, podcast interview that she "made up a story that wasn't true" about the white lacrosse players who attended a party where she was hired as a stripper.
2024: SAT/ACT scores for the Class of 2024
The Class of 2024 had a median ACT range of 34-35 and an SAT range of 1500-1570.
2025: QS World University Rankings
QS World University Rankings ranked Duke 61st in the world for its 2025 rankings.
2026: School of Law admissions statistics for the Class of 2026
The School of Law accepted approximately 10.5% of its applicants for the Class of 2026, while enrolling students had a median GPA of 3.87 and median LSAT of 170.
2028: Duke receives applications for the Class of 2028
Duke received nearly 55,000 applications for the Class of 2028, with an overall acceptance rate of 5.1%.
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