Duke in Durham
More than 100 years of history
In 1892, after a spirited competition among Piedmont cities, Trinity College
relocated from rural Randolph County to the progressive “New South” city
of Durham.
Four years later, renowned African-American leader
Booker T. Washington
spoke on campus; he later noted in his autobiography that Trinity – which
would later become Duke University – was the first white institution
of higher education in the South to invite him to speak.
By the early 20th century, Durham had become renowned for its vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. Washington visited the city again in 1910 and hailed its thriving black-owned financial district as a national model for the black middle class.
“With its tobacco factories, textile mills, black entrepreneurs, and new college,” historian Syd Nathans observed, “Durham was a hub of enterprise and hope.”
For more
than 100 years, Durham and Duke have been intertwined, working together to
appreciate their differences and diversity.
In that time, both city and university have grown – to more than 200,000
residents and more than 11,000 students, respectively. But their efforts to build
a mutually beneficial relationship continue in new ways today.