Elizabeth Dole at Duke

Mary Elizabeth Hanford attended the Woman's College¹ of Duke University, and was a finalist for an Angier B. Duke Scholarship, a full-tuition award given to outstanding applicants. She graduated from Duke on June 2, 1958 with distinction in Political Science, the only one of the department's thirty-seven seniors that year to be so honored². She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and was a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award, a national prize given to those exemplifying the ideal of service to others.

Student activities

Freshman year, 1954/55

• YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association)
• The Chanticleer (yearbook) business staff.
• Women's Glee Club
• Chapel Choir

Sophomore year, 1955/56

• Sandals. A local honorary society for sophomore women. Members were selected on the basis of service and leadership, and acted as campus messengers and tour guides.
• The Chanticleer business staff
• WSGA Council (Woman's Student Government Association)
• Women's Glee Club
• Chapel Choir
• Delta Delta Delta (aka Tri-Delts) is a social sorority.

Junior year, 1956/57

• Duke Players technical staff. A performing organization once sponsored by the English Department, the Players is now the producing arm of Duke's Drama Program.
• The Chanticleer business staff
• Women's FAC.
• Freshman Advisory Council members assisted first-year students in adjusting to college life.
• Delta Delta Delta
• A student marshal at Commencement

Senior year, 1957/58

• Delta Delta Delta
• Phi Kappa Delta is a local leadership honorary for senior women.
• Pi Sigma Alpha is a national political science honorary society.
• Phi Beta Kappa, May 31, 1958
• White Duchy. This was a local honorary society for outstanding women student leaders; its male counterpart was The Red Friars. Both groups were dubbed 'elitist organizations' in the late 1960s, and disbanded.
• WSGA (Woman's Student Government Association). President
• Women's Judicial Board. The Board interpreted and enforced regulations of the women's student government; as WSGA President, she was an ex officio member.
• In Who's Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities .
• May Queen. Duke's May Queen was selected by her fellow women students from among the Woman's College seniors. The honor was given in recognition of accomplishments and service to the university community.
• Selected as Leader of the year by the student newspaper, The Chronicle.

Contacts with Duke in later years have included:

• 1962/63: Served as Vice President, Duke University Alumnae Association. She spoke at the retirement of Roberta Florence Brinkley, Dean of the Woman's College.
• 1970: She spoke on "The Age of the Consumer" at Alumnae Weekend.
• 1974-1985: As a member of the University's Board of Trustees, she served on the Institutional Advancement Committee, and was Vice-Chair of the Committee in 1980/81. She also chaired the Loyalty Fund in 1976.
• 1982: Spoke at commencement for Fuqua School of Business. She was a member of the School's Board of Visitors.
• 1983: Chaired the Loyalty Fund (or perhaps a Committee of the Fund? The record is not clear).
• 1985: Received Duke's third Distinguished Alumni Award.
• 1989: Delivered address on labor problems and education at the Founder's Day Convocation.
• 1997: Shared her experiences in humanitarian work in a Senior Week speech.
• 2000: Delivered the commencement address, on the theme of representative government. Awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters.

1. The Woman's College: Men and women students attended classes together, but the women lived on Duke's Georgian-style East Campus, while the men's dorms were on the Gothic-style West Campus. The men's and women's colleges merged in 1972.

2. Political Science honors: The Registrar's statistics for Fall 1957 show that 25 men and 12 women seniors were majoring in Political Science. In the 1958 Commencement Program, hers is the only name listed for Departmental Honors.

• About the Archives
• Visit the Archives
• Finding materials
• Subject guides
• Duke history
• Digital Collections
• FAQs
• Exhibits
• DukeSpace
• Links
• Ask Archives