Duke University has celebrated anniversaries of two major founding events: the establishment of continuous education at Brown's Schoolhouse in Randolph County, N.C., in 1838, and the creation of the Duke Endowment, which transformed Trinity College into Duke University in 1924. As a result, the institution commemorated the 100th Anniversary of its beginnings in Randolph County in 1938/1939, the 50th Anniversary of the Duke Endowment and founding of Duke University in 1974/1975, the 150th Anniversary of its beginnings in Randolph County in 1988/1989, and the 75th Anniversary of the Duke Endowment and founding of Duke University in 1999/2000. The Duke University Anniversaries Collection includes correspondence, clippings, photographs, printed matter, programs, speeches, a sound recording, a diary, acknowledgements from other institutions, a time capsule, and other materials relating to events commemorating the beginnings and founding of Duke University. Major subjects include events planning, fund raising, Duke University, Trinity College (Randolph Co., N.C. and Durham, N.C.), Normal College (Randolph Co., N.C.), Union Institute (Randolph Co., N.C.), and Brown's Schoolhouse (Randolph Co., N.C.). English.
The Duke University Anniversaries Collection is divided into four series, arranged by anniversary. 50th Anniversary (1924-1974) of the founding of Duke University series includes correspondence, planning materials, programs, meeting minutes, financial statements, printed matter, and clippings created by the 50th Anniversary Steering and Advisory Committees. Materials range in date from 1973 to 1975. The 75th Anniversary (1924-1999) of the founding of Duke University series includes logos, a commemorative mailing cancellation stamp, a press release, and a sound recording of a speech given by John Koskinen on the Y2K conversion. Materials range in date from 1999 to 2000.
The 100th Anniversary (1838-1938) of the beginnings of Duke University series includes printed materials, correspondence, Centennial Fund records, a diary, publications, invitation lists, congratulations from other institutions, and several complete packets of centennial celebration materials. Also included is a time capsule, labeled: "1939-2039. A collection of items presented to the President of Duke University at the Centennial Celebration, April 22, 1939; not to be opened until the occasion of the Two Hundredth Anniversary of the institution." Materials range in date from 1937 to 1939. Finally, the 150th Anniversary (1838-1988) of the beginnings of Duke University series includes articles, printed matter, correspondence, clippings, subject files, photographs, programs, and financial materials. Major subjects include Sesquicentennial Celebration planning and events, the historical marker for Brown's Schoolhouse, and the plaque and maintenance of the Trinity College Memorial Gazebo in Randolph County. Materials range in date from 1988 to 2000 (bulk 1988-1989). The collection also includes a program from the Centennial Celebration of the relocation of Trinity College to Durham, 1992.