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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.

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.