Resident of Raleigh, N.C.; lawyer, founder and president of Capitol Broadcasting Company; philanthropist and supporter of the arts, especially opera. Business records and personal papers of Alfred E. Fletcher span the years 1937-1968, and document Fletcher's entrepreneurial activities in the broadcasting business, and his philanthropic activities, particularly in support of the arts in North Carolina, especially opera. Business and philanthropic records, personal correspondence, and other papers are filed together in alphabetical order by topic or name.

Business records and personal papers of Alfred E. Fletcher span the years 1937-1968, and document Fletcher's entrepreneurial activities in the broadcasting business, and his philanthropic activities, particularly in support of the arts in North Carolina, especially opera. Business and philanthropic records, personal correspondence, and other papers are filed together in alphabetical order by topic or name. Boxes 14-15 contain many files documenting Fletcher's long-standing support of opera. In addition, boxes 7-8 contain files concerning the Fletcher family, including a biography of a missionary in the North Carolina mountains, possibly his grandfather.

Benjamin Newton Duke (1855-1929) was a tobacco manufacturer, industrialist, and philanthropist of Durham, NC and New York, NY and a trustee and major benefactor of Trinity College (later Duke University). He was the son of Washington Duke, older brother of James B. Duke, husband of Sarah Pearson Angier Duke, and father of Angier Buchanan Duke and Mary Duke Biddle. The materials in this collection document the business, financial, philanthropic, and personal interests of Benjamin N. Duke and his family, especially Duke's involvement in the tobacco, textile, banking, and hydroelectric industries in North Carolina and New York and the Duke family's financial support of a variety of institutions, including educational institutions for African Americans and women, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South and individual churches, orphanages, hospitals, and community organizations. The Richard B. Arrington series and Alexander H. Sands, Jr., series document the personal and financial interests of Benjamin N. Duke's private secretaries in New York, NY.

The papers of Benjamin Newton Duke have been collected from various sources over time and span the years 1834 to 1969, although the bulk of the material dates from 1890 to 1929. The materials in the collection document the business, financial, philanthropic, and personal interests of Benjamin N. Duke and his family in Durham, NC and New York, NY, especially Duke's involvement in the tobacco, textile, banking, and hydroelectric industries and the Duke family's financial support of a variety of institutions, including educational institutions for African Americans and women, the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and individual churches, orphanages, hospitals, and community organizations. Types of material in the collection include correspondence, financial statements and ledgers, bills and receipts, architectural blueprints and drawings, land plats, deeds, photographs, photograph albums, scrapbooks, and a diary.

Family members represented include Sarah P. Duke, Angier Buchanan Duke, Mary Duke Biddle, Washington Duke, James B. Duke, Brodie L. Duke, Lida Duke Angier, and Anthony J. Drexel Biddle, Jr. Other individuals represented include Julian S. Carr, William A. Erwin, John C. Kilgo, William P. Few, Daniel Lindsay Russell, James E. Shepard, and George W. Watts.

The Richard B. Arrington series and Alexander H. Sands, Jr. series document the personal and financial interests of Benjamin N. Duke's private secretaries in New York, NY.

James B. Duke (1856-1925) was a tobacco manufacturer, industrialist, and philanthropist of Durham, North Carolina, and New York City and the youngest son of Washington Duke. He was also father to Doris Duke, who inherited a considerable portion of her father's estate at an early age and became known as "the richest girl in the world." James B. Duke's major business concerns included W. Duke, Sons and Company; American Tobacco Company; British American Tobacco Company; and Southern Power Company. His philanthropic activities included endowments of Trinity College (later renamed Duke University) and Lincoln Hospital of Durham, North Carolina. In December 1924, Duke established the Duke Endowment, a permanent trust fund whose beneficiaries include Duke University and three other institutions of higher education, rural churches, non-profit hospitals, and child care institutions throughout North and South Carolina. The collection was compiled from various sources and includes: correspondence; business, legal, and financial papers; estate and inheritance records; printed materials; miscellaneous materials; architectural drawings and blueprints; and pictures chiefly relating to the businesses, enterprises and philanthropy of James Buchanan Duke in North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and Québec, Canada. About one-half of the collection documents the administration of his estate. Subject areas represented include: American Tobacco Company; British American Tobacco Company; Southern Power Company; business; finance; aspects of the tobacco industry, including automation, marketing and taxation; hydroelectric power; textile mills; charitable works; architectural planning and interior decoration; genealogy of branches of the Duke family; inheritance and succession; estate taxation; and legal procedure for wills, inheritance and business.

The papers of James Buchanan Duke have been collected from various sources over time and span the years 1777 to 1999, although the bulk of the material dates from the 1890s to the mid-1930s. The collection is divided into 7 series: Correspondence, Business Papers, Legal Papers, Financial Papers, Estate Papers, Miscellaneous, and Pictures. About one half of the collection documents the administration of the Estate of James B. Duke, Deceased, including legal proceedings stemming from claims made against the estate. The remainder of the collection deals largely with businesses and financial investments, mainly through the Business Papers, Financial Papers, and Estate Papers Series. To a lesser extent, aspects of Duke's philanthropy are documented through the Financial Papers, Correspondence, and Legal Papers, while personal topics are concentrated in the Picture Series, Miscellaneous Series, and Correspondence Series. Subject areas represented in the collection include: the tobacco and hydroelectric power industries; business and finance; philanthropy; genealogy on branches of the Duke family; inheritance; legal procedure; architecture and interior decoration; and, to a lesser degree, family life.

Since brother Benjamin Newton Duke participated in many of the same businesses and enterprises as James B. Duke, items of his business correspondence and documents related to his investments and domestic expenditures are also found throughout the collection.

Businessman, philanthropist, and chairman of The Fuqua Companies and Fuqua Enterprises. The J.B. Fuqua Papers span the years 1929-2006. The collection is separated into two divisions according to place of origin: Fuqua's business office and his home office. The office files document Fuqua Industries and The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and include annual reports, reading files and general business papers, as well as clippings, periodicals, and copies of articles about J. B. Fuqua and his businesses. The home office files primarily document Fuqua's early career and contain files for the various businesses he acquired. A large component of video cassette recordings chiefly contain speeches and programs related to Fuqua and the Duke University Fuqua School of Business.

The J. B. Fuqua Papers span the years 1929 to 2006, with the bulk of the collection dating from the 1950s to the 1980s. The collection is separated into two divisions according to place of origin: files from Fuqua's business office and his home office. The office files document Fuqua Industries and The Fuqua School of Business at Duke University (founded by J.B. Fuqua), and include annual reports, reading files and general business papers, as well as clippings, periodicals and copies of articles about J. B. Fuqua and his businesses, and some photographs. The home office files primarily document Fuqua's early career and contain many files containing financial records and other materials pertaining to the various businesses he acquired. Fuqua owned several media outlets, including a television station, thus, a large group of materials contain correspondence, applications, and other business materials regarding Fuqua's media ventures and interactions with the Federal Communications Commission. A large component of video recordings chiefly relate to business programs with which Fuqua was involved, and the history of the Duke University Fuqua School of Business; many contain recordings of Fuqua's speeches. The original videos seem to have had a numerical identification system which was not recorded in this inventory. A small but significant group of videocassettes documents the development of Fuqua's program for managers in the former Soviet Union. There are also a number of scrapbooks and photographs, including publicity shots of Fuqua. Although Fuqua was active in Georgia politics, serving in the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate, there appear to be relatively few records in the collection relating to this area of his life other than materials on Jimmy Carter and his family and some correspondence from other politicians.

A native of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, Margaret Taylor Smith attended Duke University from 1943-1947. After graduating with a degree in sociology, Smith and her husband relocated to Birmingham, Michigan. Smith raised four children while taking an active part in her community through volunteer work and leadership. Smith's work as a research associate studying family life became the basis for a 1987 book, Mother, I Have Something to Tell You. Smith served as the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Kresge Foundation, a national organization that awards grants to support non-profit organizations. In addition, Smith continues her commitment to Duke University by holding leadership positions on multiple boards, by acting as a founding member and chair of the Council on Women's Studies, and by enabling the creation of the Sarah W. and George N. Taylor Endowment Fund for women's leadership and the Margaret Taylor Smith Endowed Directorship for Women's Studies. The Margaret Taylor Smith Papers contain materials dating from 1918 to 2010, with the bulk dating between 1980 and 2008. The collection documents Smith's voluntarism, leadership, and philanthropic activities at Duke University, especially in women's studies; her sociological research on American families, specifically relationships between mothers and children, that resulted in the publication of a book, Mother I Have Something To Tell You; her social and family life; and her professional activities and voluntarism, particularly at the Kresge Foundation. The collection is organized into five series: Duke University, Mother, I Have Something To Tell You, Personal Papers, Professional Voluntarism, and Additions.

The Margaret Taylor Smith Papers contain materials dating from 1918 to 2010, with the bulk dating between 1980 and 2008. The collection documents Smith's voluntarism, leadership, and philanthropic activities at Duke University, especially in women's studies; her sociological research that resulted in the publication of a book; her social and family life; and her professional activities and voluntarism, particularly at the Kresge Foundation. Smith's original folder titles were retained. Smith, an avid note taker, often recorded information on the exterior of folders and manila envelopes. These folders were retained and appear in the collection. The collection is organized into five series: Duke University, Mother, I Have Something To Tell You, Personal Papers, Professional Voluntarism, and Additions.

The Duke University Series comprises materials related to Smith's leadership and professional voluntarism at the university, including correspondence, event planning notes, meeting minutes, endowment information, and speeches.

The Mother, I Have Something To Tell You Series documents the publication of the 1987 book, authored by Jo Brans, based on Smith's sociological research that describes how mothers deal with children who display untraditional behavior. Specifically, Smith researched American families whose children challenged social and sexual mores during the 1960s and 1970s. The series contains correspondence, drafts, speeches, and Smith's research related to the book, including the mothers' subject files, which typically contain written transcripts of Smith's interviews with the women, both with and without Smith's notes, questionnaires and sociological data, and audiocassette recordings of the interviews. Original audio recordings are closed to research. Use copies need to be created before contents can be accessed.

Materials related to Smith's social and family life are located in the Personal Papers Series, which primarily comprises correspondence with family, friends, and some professional associates, but also includes photographs, newspaper clippings, ephemera from Smith's days as an undergraduate at Duke University, and her father's World War I diary.

The Professional Voluntarism Series contains materials documenting Smith's professional activities, including awards, correspondence, speaking engagements, subject files, voluntarism, and philanthropy. The series particularly highlights Smith's work as the chair of the Board of Trustees of the Kresge Foundation, a national organization that awards grants to support non-profit organizations; her volunteer work with the Junior League; and her interest in ethics and ethical dilemmas.

Later Additions have not been processed. Accession (2010-0066) contains email correspondence. Accession (2010-0135) includes addition research materials, correspondence, proposals, and other miscellaneous notes. Accession (2010-0164) includes correspondence regarding the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture; the Duke University Women's Studies department; Smith's Class of 1947 and their reunions; and other miscellaneous materials and notes.

Acquired as part of the Sallie Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture.

Collection consists of correspondence, financial papers, legal papers, writings and speeches, scrapbooks, photographs, films, audio tapes, and other materials reflecting the philanthropic, financial, cultural and social activities of the Semans family and other wealthy families in North Carolina and New York. A major focus is the interrelationship of the Semans family with the Biddle, Duke, and Trent families. Additionally, the papers document the roles of Mary Duke Biddle, James H. Semans and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans have taken in the development and support of arts and educational programs throughout North Carolina. To a lesser degree, the papers reflect women in politics and childcare issues during the early 20th century.

The papers of the Semans family span the years 1878 to 2008. The collection consists of four large sub-collections: the Mary Duke Biddle Family Papers, the James H. Semans Family Papers, the James H. and Mary D.B.T. Semans Family Papers, and the Elizabeth Lucina Gotham Family Papers. There are also series for films, oversize materials, and later additions.

Through files of correspondence, financial papers, legal papers, writings and speeches, scrapbooks, photographs, films, audio tapes, and other materialsThe collection reflects the philanthropic, financial, cultural, and social activities of the Semans family. Major areas of focus are the personal and social relationships of the Semans family with the Biddle, Duke, and Trent, and other wealthy families from North Carolina, New York, and elsewhere. Additionally, the papers document the roles Mary Duke Biddle, James H. Semans, and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans have taken in the development and support of arts and educational programs throughout North Carolina. To a lesser degree, the papers reflect on women in politics and childcare during the early twentieth century.

Individuals represented include Mary Duke Biddle (daughter of Benjamin Duke), Anthony Joseph Drexel Biddle, Nicholas Benjamin Duke Biddle, Angier Biddle Duke, Angier Buchanan Duke, Benjamin Newton Duke, Sarah Pearson Angier Duke, Elizabeth Lucina Gotham, and Josiah Charles Trent as well as other members of the Duke, Biddle, Trent, and Semans families. Political, arts, and educational leaders are also represented.

Subject areas represented include: families in the late 19th and 20th centuries; the arts in North Carolina and other cities; charities, particularly in North Carolina; childcare and women in nursing; The Duke Endowment; Duke University and other universities and colleges; the North Carolina School of the Arts; education; genealogy of the four families; personal finances; philanthropy; the history of Durham, NC, and its politics and social life; vocational rehabilitation; and the Methodist church, particularly in NC.

The 25 16mm film reels in the collection are chiefly children's cartoons from the 1930s-1940s, but there are also wartime newsreels and a few films for adults, some as early as 1916-1917, and some travel film. Audio tapes consist chiefly of personal family recordings, a set of memoirs dictated onto cassettes in 1977 by Mary D.B.T. Semans, and music performances.

Some portions of the collection are restricted or closed to use; please consult this collection guide for details before coming to use these materials.

For additional collections of Duke family papers, see the Washington Duke Papers, the Benjamin Newton Duke Papers, and the James B. Duke Papers. For further information on the contributions of the Duke family to Duke University, contact the Duke University Archives.

Professor of pathology; Dean of Wake Forest Medical School; Secretary of the N.C. State Board of Health; Director of the Hospital and Orphan Section of the Duke Endowment. Correspondence, legal and financial papers, memorabilia, speeches, clippings, printed materials, photographs, and a diary, all relating to the life and career of Dr. Watson Smith Rankin. Correspondence is chiefly between Dr. Rankin and his son, Jesse, friends and other relatives, and professional colleagues; much of the material concerns administrative aspects of medicine related to the Duke Endowment and the State Board of Health. Many of the writings, lectures, and speeches discuss hospital reform, and some concern philosophical and religious issues. There are also financial papers and biographical information. Also includes a 1932 report by the Commission on the Costs of Medical Care, entitled "An outline program of medical care for the People of the United States."

Correspondence, legal and financial papers, memorabilia, speeches, clippings, printed materials, photographs, and a diary, all relating to the life and career of Dr. Watson Smith Rankin. Correspondence is chiefly between Dr. Rankin and his son, Jesse, friends and other relatives, and professional colleagues; much of the material concerns administrative aspects of medicine related to the Duke Endowment and the State Board of Health. Many of the writings, lectures, and speeches discuss hospital reform, and some concern philosophical and religious issues. Financial papers record stock transactions, salaries, taxes, and philanthropic activities of Dr. Rankin. There are also several transcripts of interviews which provide biographical details. Other items include a diary entitled "Of official relations to the Methodist Home," photographs of the Duke Endowment trustees and of several N.C. governors, and Rankin's writings on Dr. John Atkinson Ferrell, who served in the Rockefeller Foundation's health division. Also includes a 1932 report by the Commission on the Costs of Medical Care, entitled "An outline program of medical care for the People of the United States."