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The Duke Family and Duke University

Duke Family Genealogy as it relates to Duke University

Washington Duke, 1820-1905 For whom the University is named. Statue on East Campus
- married (1) Mary Caroline Clinton, 1825-1847. Children:
  - Sidney Taylor Duke, 1844-1858
  - Brodie Leonidas Duke, 1846-1919
- married (2) Artelia Roney, 1829-1858. The Roney Fountain in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens is named for her sister. Children:
  - Mary Elizabeth Duke Lyon, 1853-1893
  - Benjamin Newton Duke, 1855-1929 B. N. Duke Memorial Organ, B. N. Duke Scholarship. Statue on East Campus
    - married Sarah Pearson Angier, 1856-1936. Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Children:
      - Angier B. Duke, 1884-1923 A. B. Duke Scholarships. Children:
        
        Angier Biddle Duke, 1915-1995
        
        Anthony Drexel Duke, 1918 -
      - Mary Lillian Duke Biddle, 1887-1960 Mary Duke Biddle Music Building.
        
        Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, 1920- . Trustee, 1961-1981; Chair of the Duke Endowment.
        
        married (1) Josiah Charles Trent. Trent Drive, Trent Hall, Trent Collection
        
        married (2) James H. Semans
  - James B. Duke, 1856-1925 Gave Library, 1903; Duke Endowment, 1924.
    - married Nanaline H. Inman, 1871-1962 Medical Sciences Research Building named for her. Child:
      - Doris Duke, 1912-1993 AIDS research, and other gifts. Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, 1997. Doris Duke Chair in Conservation Ecology
        Doris Duke's visits to the University

Selected Events, 1901-Present

October 3, 1901	The first Benefactors' Day (now Founders' Day). The day was approved in June, 1901 by the Trinity College Board of Trustees in honor of Washington Duke's gifts to the college.
1901	Gift of the Anne Roney Fountain by Anne Roney. Anne Roney was the sister of Artelia Roney, Washington Duke's second wife. She helped Duke raise his young family upon Artelia's death, and was later housekeeper at Fairview, his estate in Durham.
1902	Donation of Stagg Pavilion, also known as the East Campus Gazebo. The pavilion was named for James Edward Stagg, husband of Mary Lyon, who was daughter of Mary Elizabeth Duke Lyon, James and Benjamin Duke's sister.
February 23, 1903	Dedication ceremony for the Trinity College Library. The building, plus $10,000 for books, was James B. Duke's first gift to the college.
June 10, 1908	Dedication of Washington Duke statue.
December 11, 1924	Signing of Indenture of The Duke Endowment. The Trustees of Trinity College accepted the offer made in the indenture and, on December 29, 1924 the corporation changed its name from Trinity College to Duke University.
1925	Angier B. Duke Memorial Scholarship Fund established.
June 3, 1935	Dedication of James B. Duke statue.
June 3, 1935	Presentation and acceptance of Duke Homestead to the University.
April 21, 1939	Dedication of the Sarah P. Duke Gardens.
April 12, 1943	Formal opening of the Rare Book Room, located in what is now a portion of the Deryl Hart Reading Room. The impetus for the beginning of a Rare Book Collection was the gift of the Walt Whitman Collection by Josiah and Mary Trent in honor of their three young daughters, Mary Duke, Sarah Elizabeth, and Rebecca Grey Trent.
October 21, 1949	Formal opening of the redesigned and enlarged Rare Book Room and greatly expanded library facilities, gift of Mary Duke Biddle.
September 26, 1953	Announcement of the James B. Duke Professorships.
1956	Dedication of the Josiah Charles Trent Collection of the History of Medicine.
1956	Establishment of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation.
December 11, 1956	James B. Duke Fellowships established. The fellowships, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the University's chief benefactor, are for the purpose of "attracting and developing outstanding scholars and encouraging the development of college teachers through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences."
1961	Announcement of Benjamin N. Duke Professorship in Art.
1961	Announcement of Mary Duke Biddle Professorship in Music.
1961	Announcement of James B. Duke Chair of Russian Affairs, which was established by Doris Duke in honor of her father.
1972	Naming of Trent Drive and Trent Drive Hall.
October 19, 1974	Dedication of Mary Duke Biddle Music Building.
December 12-13, 1976	Dedication of Benjamin N. Duke Memorial Organ, made by Flentrop.
1977	Establishment of the Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation.
October 31, 1985	Announcement of the Benjamin N. Duke Leadership Fund. The fund, contributed by The Duke Endowment, supports the Benjamin N. Duke Scholarship and grant program for students from North and South Carolina.
1985	Beth Gotham Semans Drama Scholarship established
1985	The Mary Trent Jones - Sarah Trent Harris - Rebecca Trent Kirkland Endowment for the Arts
September 30-October 1, 1989	Duke University hosted the first reunion of the Duke Family Association at the Washington Duke Inn. The event was planned by Angier Biddle Duke and Newton Duke Angier.
September 26-27, 1992	The University hosted a second reunion of the Washington Duke and Julian Carr Families at the Washington Duke Inn. The week-end marked the Centennial of Trinity College's move to Durham. During the week-end, the North Carolina Transportation History Corporation dedicated the "Doris," the private railway car used by James B. Duke.
November 1992	The Annual Ambassador Biddle Lecture was inaugurated by Mary Semans in honor of her father, Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Jr.
October 1999	The University hosted ceremonies marking the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the Duke Endowment and of Duke University. Members of The Duke Family Association held a third reunion, and a statue of Benjamin N. Duke was unveiled on East Campus.

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