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A chapter of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) was established at Trinity College (Durham, N.C.) in 1917. In 1925, a new constitution was drafted and the chapter became the YWCA at Duke University. The records of the Duke University YWCA span the years 1923 to 1985, with the bulk dating between 1930 and 1970, and include reports, printed matter, correspondence, sermons, clippings, and financial records.

The Young Men's-Young Women's Christian Association was created in 1969, an apparent merger of the men's and women's Y's elements. The YM-YWCA was a student religious organization operating within the Religious Activities Department and overseen by an advisory board and advised by the Associate Directors of Religious Activities. The collection contains material pertaining to the activities and organization of the YM-YWCA including annual reports, flyers, handbooks, directories, and materials documenting the joint efforts of the YMCA and YWCA around the same period. The dates in the collection range from circa 1968-1979.

The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) at Duke University was established at then Trinity College in 1887-1888. In its early years, it functioned primarily as a sort of Bible class. Although it never abandoned its emphasis on Christianity, in its later years the YMCA dedicated itself more to campus and social service projects than Bible study. These records were produced by the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) at Duke Universityin the course of their activities as a student religious organization. Materials are present from 1920 to 1969; however, the bulk of the material is from the late 1930s to the early 1960s and consists mainly of annual reports. The majority of the remaining material consists of reports from other student religious organizations. Physical types of materials present include reports, pamphlets, correspondence, minutes, student publications, programs, flyers, and officer lists. There is one artifact, a gavel that is engraved with presidents' initials and years of service, 1945-1955.

On February 13, 1969, Duke University students in the Afro-American Society occupied the the main administration building to bring attention to the needs of black students. These needs included an African American studies department, a black student union, and increased enrollment and financial support for black students. This and subsequent events became known as the Allen Building Takeover. The Allen Building Takeover Oral History Collection includes oral histories conducted by Duke student Don Yannella in 1985 leading to his thesis Race Relations at Duke University and the Allen Building Takeover. The collection includes the original interview tapes, transcripts of the some of the interviews, and use copies of several of the original recordings.

Who Needs Feminism started as a class project for Women in the Public Sphere: History, Theory, and Practice in Spring 2012. The project began a campaign of posters and photographs on social media depicting people of varying gender and ethnicity holding white board signs with the text "I need feminism because ...". The Who Needs Feminism records include captures of the campaign's Tumblr and Facebook pages, print-outs of social media campaign activity, news articles on the campaign, and reflection essays written by the 16 students who originally created the campaign.

WDBS was Duke University's campus radio station from 1950-1983. It initially broadcast on AM by carrier current, a system in which radio signals were fed into the university's electrical system. In 1971, WDBS began broadcasting on FM 107.1 as a commercial, non-profit station. AM broadcasts ceased in the early 1970s. WDBS was sold in 1983 to repay debts the station owed Duke University. Collection includes annual reports, correspondence, proposals, newspaper clippings, advertising, program guides, record company photographs and press releases, and other materials related to the operation of WDBS. There are also reel-to-reel sound recordings of broadcasts from the 1960s and 1970s, including speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stokeley Carmichael, Douglas Knight, Samuel Dubois Cook, Charles Goodell, Robert Shelton, Spiro Agnew, Julian Bond, Birch Bayh, William Kunstler, Floyd McKissick, Richard Kleindienst, and Terry Sanford. News events and other subjects represented on tape include the 1968 Vigil, the 1969 takeover of the Allen Building by the Afro-American Society, racial unrest in Durham, anti-war activism, the 1971 USA Pan-Africa track meet, the 1972 Republican National Convention, the dedication of the William R. Perkins Library, and the Duke Symposium. Musical recordings include an organ recital, the Concert Band, and the Glee Club. English.

In 1892, Dr. Stephen B. Weeks, a professor of history at Trinity College, organized the Trinity College Historical Society. The goals of the Society were to collect, arrange, and preserve written materials and artifacts illustrative of the history of North Carolina and the South, and to promote the study of Southern history through lectures and publications. The Society benefited from the strong leadership of two history professors, John Spencer Bassett and William Kenneth Boyd. They made wide appeals for donations of historical materials and maintained a museum to house these relics. The meetings of the Society, held several times each year, provided a forum at which students and faculty could read their research papers and discuss their ideas. The best of these papers were published, from 1897 to 1956, in the Historical Papers of the Trinity College Historical Society. The collection includes historical notes about Trinity College and the Society, correspondence, meeting announcements, administrative files, publications, speeches, and artifacts. Materials range in date from [1492?] to 1981. English.

The Parthenon Club was an organization for female students and faculty of Trinity College. The club was active from 1916 until 1924. The club promoted interest in the language, literature, and art of ancient Greek and Roman cultures, especially the work of women. Materials include one bound volume containing minutes, constitutions, and financial records. Major subjects include women at Trinity College, Trinity College history, student groups, study of classical languages, appreciation of classical literature, and women in classical literature.

The Columbian Literary Society was founded in 1846. The Hesperian Literary Society was founded in 1851. Records of both the Columbian Literary Society and Hesperian Literary Society documenting their activities. Included are numerous minute books, roll books, treasurer's books, book lists, constitutions and bylaws as well as some correspondence and programs for events co-hosted by the societies.

The Theta Chi Records are a collection of photographs and papers created by the Duke University chapter of the fraternal organization Theta Chi.