Campus Protest: Duke University, 1967-1969

he 1969 takeover of the Allen Building, Duke University's administrative center, came at a time of high tension on college campuses across the nation. Students demanded a greater voice on issues ranging from course offerings to residential life. On Duke's campus, conflict between African-American students and the administration led to a number of protests and other actions by both black and white students during the late 1960s.

The Allen Building Takeover took place on February 13, 1969, when between 50 and 75 African-American students occupied the building and issued thirteen demands to the administration. These demands related to black student needs and problems at Duke. The occupation ended with a peaceful exit of the students, but Durham police clashed with crowds of students that had gathered outside the building. While the Allen Building takeover is perhaps the most well-known Duke protest, a number of other events occurred at Duke in the late 1960s. All of these contributed to changes in the university's campus culture, student expectations, and administrative responses.

The following web pages present the chronology of events leading up to and following the Allen Building Takeover, along with photographs and documents from the time period. For those who wish to do further research on protests at Duke during the late 1960s, many resources are available in the Duke University Libraries. A list of sources at the Duke University Archives can be found in the bibliography at the end of the chronology.