Correspondence, 1894-1960

Please Note:

This collection is currently being reprocessed to incorporate additional material before it becomes fully open to researchers in January 2027--material may sometimes be unavailable because of this. This work is being funded by a Duke Endowment grant focused on Duke family papers. For more information, please contact the Rubenstein Library.

Scope and content:

Primarily correspondence to and from Biddle, but also includes correspondence to and from Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Jr., Benjamin N. Duke, Sarah P. Duke, Angier Buchanan Duke, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, Nicholas Duke Biddle, and Duke University administrators, trustees, and faculty. There is a significant amount of correspondence from Duke family business managers to her related to her finances and from her to Duke University related to her philanthropy. Some legal documents related to financial transactions are interspersed. There are also files specifically for the many condolences addressed to her on the deaths of her brother, father, and mother.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically, with files of condolences at the end.

Contents

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Collection restrictions:

This collection is currently being reprocessed to incorporate additional material before it becomes fully open to researchers in January 2027--material may sometimes be unavailable because of this. This work is being funded by a Duke Endowment grant focused on Duke family papers. For more information, please contact the Rubenstein Library.

Access restricted. Access to this material will be consistent with the 1991 agreement between Duke University Library, James H. Semans, and Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. Access to any correspondence, legal papers, and financial papers is restricted and will be permitted only with prior written permission, which should be sought from the chair of the board of the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation. This restriction shall be in place until 1 January 2027, after which all material shall be considered open for research.

Access note. Some materials in this collection are fragile photographic formats and may require extra assistance from staff. Use of digital access copies is preferred. Contact Research Services for access.

Use & permissions:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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