The Duke University Office of Cultural Affairs was created in 1969 as part of the Division of Student Affairs and existed until 1993, when, as part of a reorganization of the Division, it was superceded by the Office of University Life. The Office of Cultural Affairs Records, 1931-2002 (bulk 1958-2002), consist of budgets and financial reports; calendars; contracts; correspondence; meeting minutes; printed materials; black-and-white, color, and 35mm photographs; and videocassettes, audiocassettes, and digital audio tapes. Materials primarily span the years of the OCA's official existence, 1969-1993, but also contain earlier materials about its first director, Ella Fountain Pratt, and later records created by the Office of University Life. Arranged in five series: Subject Files, which provide a broad overview of the OCA's activities, including early correspondence between Duke University and the American Dance Festival, which moved to Duke in 1977; the Chamber Arts Society, a group that promoted chamber music performance in Durham and surrounding areas; the Duke Artists Series, a concert series that began in 1930 and came under the oversight of OCA upon its creation in 1969; the Summer Session, programming for which also became one of the OCA's primary responsibilities; and the Triangle Dance Guild, a group independent of Duke that coordinated with the OCA to promote dance performance on campus and in Durham and surrounding areas from 1976-1984.

The Office of Cultural Affairs Records, 1931-2019 (bulk 1958-2002), consist of budgets and financial reports, calendars, contracts, correspondence, meeting minutes, photographs, and printed materials that document the Office's administration and scheduling of concerts and other performing arts events, arts festivals, and certain performance venues and buildings on the campus of Duke University. The majority of these records span the years of the OCA's official existence, 1969-1993; but there are also older materials that stem from the earlier Duke career of the OCA's initial director, Ella Fountain Pratt, as well as later records created under the Office of University Life, which superceded the OCA in 1993. Audiovisual material in the collection include more than 500 black-and-white, color, and 35mm photographs; additionally, there are several videocassettes, audiocassettes, and digital audio tapes. The collection is arranged in five series beginning with the most general, Subject Files, followed in alphabetical order by four smaller and more specific series that document the history of various concert series or arts organizations.

The Subject Files are not only the largest series but also give the broadest overview of the OCA's activities. Several large folder groups exist within the series, including one that contains early correspondence and negotiations between Duke University and the American Dance Festival, which moved to Duke in 1977. The series also contains correspondence and other records that span Pratt's entire career at Duke, from the late 1950s through her retirement in 1984. The next four series document the history of various concert series or artistic groups that were either administrated by or collaborated with the OCA. The first and largest of these series is the Chamber Arts Society. Founded in 1945 to promote chamber music performance in Durham , this group eventually came under the aegis of Duke University and the Office of Cultural Affairs in 1975. Although files here tell a little of that early history, they primarily document some fifteen years of concerts on campus from the mid-1980s through 2002. Following this are the records of the Duke Artists Series, a concert series that began in 1930. When the OCA was created in 1969, management and oversight of the Duke Artists Series was made one of its primary responsibilities. The files here mainly document several seasons of concerts in the late 1980s and late 1990s. Much like the Duke Artists Series, cultural programming for the University's Summer Session Series also became a primary responsibility of the OCA upon its creation. This series covers more than forty years of summer session history, including programming that continued under the Office of University Life. The final series contains the history of the Triangle Dance Guild. Independent of Duke, this group existed from 1976-1984 and coordinated with the OCA to promote dance performance on campus and in Durham and other local venues.

Since its inception in 1969, the Office of Minority Affairs (formerly known as the Office of Black Affairs and currently the Office of Intercultural Affairs) has primarily addressed the needs of the African American student population at Duke University, providing an organizational structure through which Black participation in the University and local communities can obtain the greatest degree of effectiveness. The collection contains a variety of administrative materials, including reports, correspondence, minutes and programs, documenting the directives and activities of the Office of Minority Affairs. Also included are materials pertaining to the Summer Transitional Program, which was established in 1969 and managed by the Office of Minority Affairs.

The Office of Minority Affairs' records spans the years 1969-1993. The collection is arranged into three series: Administrative Records, 1969-1993; Scrapbooks, 1968-1991; and Summer Transitional Program, 1969-1986.

Materials in the collection include administrative records, correspondence, reports, memoranda, minutes, course schedules, statistics, handbooks, newsletters, financial information, photographs, programs, scrapbooks, and other materials from the Office of Minority Affairs.

The Office of University Life was created in the 1993 reorganization of the Division of Student Affairs and is responsible for cultural programming and scheduling of cultural facilities. It is also responsible for the oversight and advising of student organizations, including student government and the University Union. It was previously known as the Office of Cultural Affairs. This collection includes files on events, correspondence, memoranda and files created by Associate Dean of University Life, Richard Cox. The collection also contains files associated with the Greek Life Task Force, 1993-1994, which was established by the Student Affairs Board of Trustees Committee to examine the interaction between greek organizations and student life at Duke.

This collection includes files on events, correspondence, memoranda and files created by Associate Dean of University Life, Richard Cox. The collection also contains files associated with the Greek Life Task Force, 1993-1994, which was established by the Student Affairs Board of Trustees Committee to examine the interaction between greek organizations and student life at Duke.