Duke University Libraries has received more than $1 million to preserve and make accessible a huge collection of historical papers related to the Duke family.    

This support includes a $500,000 grant from The Duke Endowment, along with funds from the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans Foundation, the Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation Endowment Fund held by Duke University, and the children of Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. Her children—whose advocacy, foundation board service, personal philanthropy, and contributed materials made the project possible—are Mary Trent Jones, Sally Trent Harris, Rebecca Trent Kirkland, Barbara Trent Kimbrell, the late Jenny Semans Koortbojian, the late James Duke Biddle Trent Semans, and Beth Semans Hubbard. 

“As Duke celebrates its centennial year, this is a fitting project to reflect on the legacy of one of North Carolina’s most influential families,” said President Vincent E. Price. “I am grateful to The Duke Endowment and the Duke family members and their foundations for their generosity that will make this new collection available to the Duke and Durham communities.” 

With the receipt of the Duke-Trent-Semans family papers, the university now holds materials from the first four Duke generations. The archive offers new insights and stories about the family, the communities around them and their intertwined legacies. Dating back to the 1800s, the archive encompasses the personal and business archives of Washington Duke, James B. Duke, Benjamin N. Duke, Mary Duke Biddle, Doris Duke, and other notable Duke family members. 

The papers of Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, the focus of the project, document the life of Benjamin and Sarah P. Duke’s granddaughter. Trent Semans graduated from Duke’s Woman’s College, married Dr. Josiah Charles Trent and later Dr. James Semans. She raised a family of seven and continued her family’s legacy of philanthropy through decades of service in various executive roles, including as a trustee of The Duke Endowment and as a trustee of Duke University. She was active in Durham city government and leadership, becoming the city’s first female mayor pro tempore. Throughout her life she fought for civil rights, funding for the arts, and affordable housing and healthcare. 

The new funding will enable Duke Libraries to prepare the Duke-Trent-Semans family papers for research use, procure needed preservation materials, digitize portions of the collection, and ensure that Duke family materials are publicly accessible for research and exploration. Related archival collections on the Duke family and the Carolinas will also be reviewed and prioritized for processing and selective digitization. 

“The Duke Endowment is honored to take a leading role in supporting this project, to foster and preserve these cherished Duke family archives,” said Charles C. Lucas III, chair of The Duke Endowment and the grandson of Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans. “As the Endowment celebrates its centennial, alongside Duke University’s, our trustees and the trustees of the other Duke family foundations are committed to ensuring the Duke family’s legacy remains accessible and inspires future generations.”  

Honoring Trent-Semans’ enduring connection and commitment to Durham, the project will also establish a new community engagement coordinator position based in the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library. The coordinator will work with campus partners to strengthen Duke’s relationships with local organizations and neighborhoods, foster collaborations with local cultural heritage organizations, expand access to Rubenstein Library collections and services for local communities, and increase the Duke community’s awareness of Durham history and culture.   

The grant funding will also support a new library internship program to assist with processing and digitizing the papers—offering students valuable hands-on experience and carrying on the Duke family legacy of educating the next generation. 

“We are grateful for this generous and timely support from The Duke Endowment, the Biddle Foundation, the Semans Foundation, the Trent Fund, and the members of the Duke-Trent Semans family, which will allow us to establish the Duke Family Archive as a comprehensive historical resource,” said Joseph A. Salem, Jr., Rita DiGiallonardo Holloway University Librarian and Vice Provost for Library Affairs at Duke. “We are especially excited about the opportunities to reach out to our community—taking our mission beyond the campus walls and inviting diverse audiences to engage with us in the proud tradition of a family whose impact on our region cannot be overstated.” 

Based in Charlotte and established in 1924 by industrialist and philanthropist James B. Duke, The Duke Endowment is a private foundation that strengthens communities in North Carolina and South Carolina by nurturing children, promoting health, educating minds and enriching spirits. Since its founding, it has distributed more than $4.8 billion in grants. The Endowment shares a name with Duke University and Duke Energy, but all are separate organizations.