Juanita Morris Kreps papers, 1928-2001, bulk 1976-1980

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Summary

Creator:
Kreps, Juanita M. (Juanita Morris), 1921-2010 and Economists' Papers Archive
Abstract:
Juanita Morris Kreps (1921-2010) was President Jimmy Carter's first Secretary of Commerce and before that the former James B. Duke Professor of Economics and Vice President at Duke University. This collection primarily documents her professional life through her correspondence, speeches, and material that documents her government service. It forms part of the Economists' Papers Archive.
Extent:
37.8 Linear Feet (55 boxes)
Language:
Material in English.
Collection ID:
RL.00789

Background

Scope and content:

This collection documents Kreps's career as an economist, academic administrator, and Secretary of Commerce for the Carter administration.

Almost everything related to her time as Secretary of Commerce can be found in the series of the same name, which includes appointment books and calendars, Congressional testimony given as part of her confirmation hearings, correspondence, Cabinet meeting notes, and briefing books and talking points. The Visual Materials series primarily contains photographic prints, photo albums, and scrapbooks that show her time as Secretary, especially her foreign travel.

Outside of her time as Secretary, this collection is rich with frequently annotated drafts of her public remarks, like conference presentations, invited lectures and commencement addresses, and acceptance speeches. These items, along with her writings, show her interest in labor economics, specifically related to women and older workers, followed by the broader US economy and domestic and international economic policy after her time as Secretary. There is also correspondence from these same years, which include her time as Dean of the Women's College at Duke University immediately before it was merged with Trinity College.

Biographical / historical:

Juanita Morris Kreps was born in Lynch, KY on 11 January 1921 to Elmer Moscow Morris and Lacinda "Cenia" Morris. She earned a BA in economics from Berea College in 1942 then an MA and PhD from Duke University in 1944 and 1948, respectively. Accompanying her husband Clifton, who was also an economics professor, she taught at Denison University (1945-1950), Hofstra College (1952-1954), and Queens College (1954-1955) before returning to Duke when he landed at the University of North Carolina in 1955.

At Duke, Kreps was first in a visiting role in the Economics Department before becoming full-time in 1963. Notably, she became Assistant Provost and Dean of the Woman's College in 1969 before it merged with Trinity College in 1972 (after which she became Vice President) and the James B. Duke Professor of Economics in 1972. Her primary research area was labor economics, specifically women and older workers.

After briefing President-Elect Jimmy Carter in 1976, Kreps was selected and confirmed as his first Secretary of Commerce, serving from January 1977-October 1979. As a government outsider assigned to the Commerce Department rather than the more influential Treasury Department, she worked to reorganize Commerce and increase its role in setting economic policy through such efforts as promoting international trade. She was the first woman and economist to become Commerce Secretary and only the fourth woman Cabinet member ever. This was emblematic of her life in the mid-20th century, when she was often the first woman to ever occupy a given position.

In addition to her academic and government work, Kreps served on the Board of Trustees of Berea College and The Duke Endowment (1979-2003) and the Board of Directors of many well-known corporations, such as the New York Stock Exchange, JC Penny, RJ Reynolds, Armco, Chrysler Corporation, and TIAA-CREF.

Besides various honorary degrees, Kreps was awarded the NC Public Service Award (1976), Stephen Wise Award (1978), American Association of University Women Achievement Award (1981), NC Citizens Assocation Distinguished Public Service Award (1982), and the first Duke University Distinguished Alumni Award (1982). She was also inducted into the NC Business Hall of Fame (1995).

Krpes married Clifton H. Kreps Jr. (1920-2000) in 1944 and together they had three children: Sarah, Laura Anne, and Clifton III. She resigned as Commerce Secretary and returned to Duke after Clifton Jr. was released from the hospital following an apparent suicide attempt in their Durham home on 29 June 1979. She died in Durham on 5 July 2010.

Acquisition information:
The Juanita Morris Kreps papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library as gifts in 2002 and as a transfer from Perkins Library in 2023.
Processing information:

Processed by Matthew Panhans and Norikazu Takami, August 2011.

Encoded by Paula Jeannet, Matthew Panhans and Norikazu Takami, August 2011.

Updated by Leah Tams, November 2023 and Zachary Tumlin, August 2025.

Accessions described in this collection guide: 2002-0011, 2002-0320, and 2023-0153.

Arrangement:

The Juanita Morris Kreps papers are organized into seven series: Appointment Books and Calendars, Correspondence, Secretary of Commerce, Publications, Speeches, Visual Material, and Other Files.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

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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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Juanita Morris Kreps papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1504b