History of Duke University

Duke University is located in Durham, Northaccepted only about twenty percent of them.
Carolina. The university was founded byDuke University's endowment was valued at $5.9
Methodists and Quakers in the present-day townbillion in 2007.
of Trinity in 1838. The school moved to DurhamDuke offers 36 arts and sciences majors, four
in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist Jamesengineering majors, and 46 additional majors that
Buchanan Duke established The Dukehave been approved under Program II. Program II
Endowment, prompting the institution to changeallows students to design their own interdisciplinary
its name in honor of his deceased father,major. Sixteen certificate programs also are
Washington Duke.available. Students may pursue a combination of a
The University is organized into twototal of up to three majors/minors/certificates.
undergraduate and eight graduate schools. TheThe Allen Building, opened in 1954, is home to
undergraduate student body comes from all 50many of the university's top-level administrative
U.S. states and 106 countries. In its 2009 edition,offices.
U.S. News & World Report ranked theDuke University owns 220 buildings on 9,350
university's undergraduate program eighth amongacres of land. That includes the 7,200 acre Duke
national universities, while the medical, law, andForest. The campus is divided into four main
business schools were ranked among the top 11 inareas: West, East, and Central campuses, and the
the country.Medical Center.
Duke's research expenditures are among theDuke students often refer to the campus as "the
largest 20 in the U.S. and its athletic program isGothic Wonderland." The nickname refers to the
one of the nation's elite. The Athletic teamsGothic revival architecture of West Campus.
compete in the ACC and have won nine nationalWest Campus, the heart of Duke University,
championships, including three by the men'shouses all the sophomores, along with some
basketball team.juniors and seniors.
Besides academics, research, and athletics, DukeEast Campus, the original location of Duke
is also well known for its sizable campus andUniversity, functions as a freshman campus as
Gothic architecture, especially Duke Chapel.well as the home of several academic
Duke started as Brown's Schoolhouse.departments.
In 1924, Washington Duke's son, James B. Duke,Central Campus is located between East and
established The Duke Endowment with a $40West campuses. It houses around 850 juniors and
million trust fund.seniors and 200 professional students in
Engineering became a separate school in 1939.apartments.
Duke hosted and competed in the only Rose BowlThe Duke Forest today consists of 7,200 acres in
ever played outside California.six divisions just west of Duke University's West
The Levine Science Research Center is theCampus.
largest single-site interdisciplinary research facilityDuke's 26 varsity sports teams are known as the
of any American university.Blue Devils.
Duke University's growth and academic focusIn the past ten years, Duke has finished in the
have contributed to the university's reputation astop 30 every year in the NACDA Director's Cup,
an academic and research institution.which is an overall measure of an institution's
In the 2004 fiscal year, research expendituresathletic success.
surpassed $490 million.Duke's men's basketball team is one the nation's
Duke's student body consists of 6,244most successful basketball programs in the
undergraduates and 6,844 graduate andcountry.
professional students. The undergraduate studentThe team's success has been particularly
body contains 40% ethnic minorities. They comeoutstanding over the past 25 years under coach
from all 50 U.S. states and 106 countries. ThisMike Krzyzewski. Since his name is hard to
year Duke received 20,400 applications andpronounce, he is referred to as "Coach K.