Although the need for a university archives was first recognized in the late 1940s, no official action was taken until 1972, when Duke University President Terry Sanford established the Duke University Archives as the official repository for University records of enduring value. The Duke University Medical Center Archives was established in 1977 to manage the archival records of the Duke University Medical Center.

In 2002, after 30 years of operating as a department of the general administration, the Duke University Archives became part of the University's library system. The University Archives merged with the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library in 2006.

The Duke University Archives identifies and preserves administrative, legal, fiscal, and historical records that have enduring value for the Duke community and makes those records available in accordance with policies approved by the University's Board of Trustees, administration, and faculty. The University Archives’ holdings consist of approximately 11,000 linear feet of records (including electronic records) dating from 1838 to the present.

In addition to official Duke University records, the University Archives preserves

• campus publications
• audiovisual materials by and about Duke University
• papers and selected publications of Duke University faculty members
• records of Duke University student and employee organizations
• dissertations, theses, final projects, and senior honors papers produced by Duke University students (accessing these materials)

The University Archives also manages DukeSpace, the Libraries' digital repository.

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