Board of Trustees records, 1860-ongoing

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Restrictions:
Records of the University's Board of Trustees which have been existence for at least fifty years are available for scholarly research with the permission of the University Archivist. Access to...
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Summary

Creator:
Trinity College (Durham, N.C.). Board of Trustees, Trinity College (Randolph County, N.C.). Board of Trustees, and Duke University. Board of Trustees
Abstract:
The Duke University Board of Trustees has existed since 1924, and grew out of the Trinity College Board of Trustees that existed from 1859 to 1924. The Board is responsible for making major steering decisions in the administration of the school. The Board of Trustees records contain minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports, subject files, trustee handbooks, and other records of the Board and Executive, standing, and ad hoc committees. The minutes include reports, correspondence, resolutions, recommendations for the conferring of degrees, for employment and renewal of employment, and other material. Reports include those made by University officers, Board committees, and outside consultants. The Board's records also include statements of funds and scholarships, investment reports, correspondence, audits, bylaws, petitions from students, and other material. English.
Extent:
130 Linear Feet
Language:
English.
Collection ID:
UA.02.01.0001
University Archives Record Group:
02 -- Board of Trustees
02 -- Board of Trustees > 01 -- Board of Trustees

Background

Scope and content:

The Board of Trustees records contain minutes, agendas, correspondence, reports, subject files, trustee handbooks, and other records of the Board and Executive, standing, and ad hoc committees. The minutes include reports, correspondence, resolutions, recommendations for the conferring of degrees, for employment and renewal of employment, and other material. Reports include those made by University officers, Board committees, and outside consultants. The Board's records also include statements of funds and scholarships, investment reports, correspondence, audits, bylaws, petitions from students, and other material. The minute book covering June 1901-June 1910 was destroyed by fire in 1911, but some handwritten minutes for the period were preserved and have been typed out. There are gaps in the minutes for the period 1925-1930.

The collection is divided into three main sections: Trinity College, Duke University, and Duke University Unprocessed Materials. The Trinity College series begins in 1860 and ends in 1924, the year Trinity College became Duke University. There are minute books, topical files, and yearly files. Because a fire destroyed the minute book covering June 1901-June 1910, some handwritten minutes have been transcribed; these can be found in the yearly files.

The second series, Duke University, covers 1924 to the present. It includes minutes of the Board and the Executive Committee, general records of the Board and the Executive Committee, reports, financial records, committees, and unprocessed materials. All materials less than 50 years old are closed except by special permission, in writing, from the Board of Trustees.

The third series, Duke University Unprocessed Materials, consists primarily of materials less than fifty years old, and so are restricted except by permission from the Board of Trustees.

Biographical / historical:

The Board of Trustees of Duke University was originally formed when the Union Institute Society's 1839 constitution established a body with responsibility for the oversight of the affairs of Union Institute Academy of Randolph County, North Carolina. The Board was legally recognized in 1841 by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly incorporating Union Institute Academy as a private school for boys. In 1851, the Union Institute Academy changed to become Normal College, an institution dedicated to the training of teachers. The Board members remained largely the same, but new members were also added. In 1856, the Board approved resolutions to allow Normal College to become the official college of the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. With the change came more Board members representing the Methodist Church, and a new charter was approved by the Board. In 1859, Normal College changed its name to "Trinity College." A set of bylaws was also drawn up, and these by-laws form the basis of Duke University's present-day bylaws.

In 1892, Trinity College moved to Durham County to take advantage of a more urban setting and to seek more financial support. In 1924, the University received a major endowment from James B. Duke, who along with his father, Washington Duke, and brother, Benjamin Duke, had made a fortune in tobacco and power companies. In his honor, the Board of Trustees changed the name of Trinity College to Duke University (although the undergraduate institution still retains the name Trinity College).

Although the bylaws of the Board have been modified over the years, the Duke University Board of Trustees is still the body that makes the university's major administrative and strategic decisions. The Board consists of 36 members, including the current president of Duke University. As of 2005, the Bylaws of Duke University stated, "The thirty-six elected Trustees shall be elected as follows: twelve by the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; twelve by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; and twelve by the graduates of Duke University." The Board is administered by the Office of the University Secretary. To read the current bylaws of Duke University and to see a list of current Board members, visit the University Secretary's webpage at: http://www.duke.edu/web/ous/

Acquisition information:
The Board of Trustees Records were received by the University Archives as transfers from 1974-2012.
Processing information:

Processed by Valerie Gillispie

Completed March 25, 2005

Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, March 25, 2005

Updated by Jill Katte, March 2006

Updated by Sherrie Bowser, March 2008

Updated by Kimberly Sims, November 2012

Accession UA2018.0051 added by Tracy M. Jackson, July 2018.

Accessions UA2012.0025, UA2019.0027, UA2019.0074, and UA2021.0004 processed and added by Tracy M. Jackson, April 2021.

Access restriction notes updated by Tracy M. Jackson, April 2023.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

Using These Materials

Using These Materials Links:

Using These Materials

Restrictions:

Records of the University's Board of Trustees which have been existence for at least fifty years are available for scholarly research with the permission of the University Archivist. Access to records which have been in existence for less than fifty years shall be granted only by special permission, in writing, from the Board of Trustees.

Records, such as search committee files or others pertaining to employment where individuals are identified, are closed for 70 years.

In accordance with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended, Duke University permits students to inspect their education records and limits the disclosure of personally identifiable information from education records.

Access note. Collection contains electronic records that must be requested and accessed in our reading room. Contact Research Services with questions.

Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Board of Trustees Records, University Archives, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1m68z