In 1937, planning for the 1938-1939 centennial celebration of Duke University was well underway. The Alumni Association contracted with the famed English firm Josiah Wedgwood & Sons to produce a set of commemorative china plates.
The first edition was three hundred sets of twelve plates bearing the signature of Duke University President William Preston Few on the back. Wedgwood & Sons produced a second unsigned edition. Today, the plates are retired.
See a full page ad for the first edition of the plates, taken from the 1937 Duke University Alumni Register.
For Further Research
- Duke University Wedgwood Plates Reference Collection, 1937-1938 (view this collection guide)
- The Artifacts and Relics Collection, 1830s-ongoing, contains a set of the Duke University Wedgwood plates. (view this collection guide)
