Who was Doris Duke?

In 1925, the press dubbed her "the richest girl in the world" when she inherited a fortune from her father, Duke University benefactor James B. Duke, at the mere age of twelve. Later she made more headlines as the glamorous, eccentric heiress who named her butler the executor of her estate.

But Doris Duke's papers reveal a more complex picture of an adventurous, intelligent, and independent woman who refused to be defined by social expectations or wealth.

In 2009, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation transferred Doris Duke's personal papers to Duke University. It is a collection that has enduring value to the university, its community and researchers.

Recently, we delved into those archives to assemble an interactive timeline of Doris Duke's life, with links to actual letters, photos, memorabilia, and other documents. You can follow the paper trail as she travels around the world, supports the war effort, develops a passion for Islamic art, becomes a major philanthropist herself, and picks up a couple of camels along the way. There's even a quiz where you can test your Doris Duke knowledge.

It's just an example of the kind of tools we're developing here in the Libraries that let researchers tap into archival materials in ways that earlier generations could only dream of. The site is also designed to render on your iPad or smart phone.

That's not just smart. That's crazy smart.

To learn more about Doris Duke, visit the interactive timeline of her life, or check out the online version of our recent exhibit, Philanthropist, Environmentalist, Collector: Doris Duke and Her Estates.

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