LibGuides: Women at Duke University: At Trinity College, Durham (1892-1924)

Historical Overview

Trinity College moved to Durham in 1892, due in part to a donation from Washington Duke. In the fall of that year, the College's Board of Trustees committed the school to co-education by formally voting to admit women to classes.

With the support and encouragement of Duke and John C. Kilgo, president from 1894 to 1910, enrollment of women became the norm. By 1902, thirty-five female students were in attendance.

The first sorority was Sigma Delta, a local group founded in 1904. The first national sorority to be chartered here was Alpha Delta Pi in 1911. By 1912, there were a sufficient number of women graduates to form an active Alumnae Association.

In 1918, the College appointed its first Dean of Women, Martha Buchanan. She was succeeded the following year by Fronde Kennedy, who served as Dean until 1923. In that year, there were 235 women graduate and undergraduate students enrolled out of a total regular enrollment of 1058.

Secondary Sources: Books, Research Papers, etc.

The following secondary source materials contain information about women at Trinity College in Durham. Clicking on the links will take you to the catalog record for each item.

Many of these sources are the products of research using Duke University Archives collections. As you read them, take careful note of their footnotes; they will point you to University Archives collections that may be helpful to your own research.

Amen, Barbara. "The Development of a Coordinate College for Women at Trinity College, N.C., 1904-1924: A Struggle for Equality." History 195/196 Research Paper, 1974. From the Department of History Records, 1932-ongoing, box 1.

Booher, Bridget. Women at Duke Illustrated: Making Duke History since 1838. Durham, NC : Duke University Archives, 2014.

DeHaven, Dara. "'On Educating Women': The Co-ordinate Ideal at Trinity and Duke University." Senior honors paper, Duke University, 1973.

Farnham, Christie. The Education of the Southern Belle: Higher Education and Student Socialization in the Antebellum South. New York: New York University Press, 1994.

Porter, Earl. Trinity and Duke, 1892-1924: Foundations of Duke University. Durham: Duke University Press, 1964.

Manuscript Collections

The links below will take you to the collection guide or catalog record for each collection. See the "Introduction" tab of this guide for guidance on accessing these collections.

Lizzie F. Burch Papers, 1896-1899
This collection includes themes, short stories, and notebooks from Burch's Trinity College courses, including themes describing the Washington Duke Building, the Anne Roney Fountain, and other aspects of life at Trinity College. Several essays on plays by William Shakespeare are also included. Notebooks include those for several courses, including an English course taught by William P. Few and an economics course taught by Jerome Dowd. Two memorandum books list school expenses and Burch's schedule for a year.
Alice Craven Scrapbook, 1915-1924
Alice Craven attended Trinity College in Durham, NC from 1922 to 1924. She was the great-granddaughter of President Braxton Craven. Her scrapbook includes photos and memorabilia related to the Athena Literary Society, the Women's Student Government Association, the Y.W.C.A., the Women's Athletic Association and general student life at Trinity College.
Margaret Durham Scrapbook, 1916-1918
Durham spent her senior year (1916-1917) at Trinity College; she was a member of Kappa Delta and Delta Phi Rho Alpha and served as secretary of the Virginia Club (the college's club for students from Virginia). Her scrapbooks contain photographs, correspondence, artwork, dried flowers, ribbons, fraternity and sorority event invitations, cards, telegrams, programs, and clippings.
Few Family Papers, 1861-2009
Mary Reamey Thomas Few (wife of President William P. Few) was a member of the Trinity College class of 1906. Letters written to her parents while a student detail her life at Trinity College, with references to her classes, professors, friends, social activities, and student organizations (she was a member of Kappa Delta and served on the editorial staffs for the Duke Chronicle and The Archive). Also of note are Mrs. Few's letters home regarding the 1905 visit of President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt to Trinity College.
Anne Walker Garrard Scrapbooks, 1921-1998
Garrard (1905-1998) was a 1925 graduate of the Women's College (she was a student when Trinity College became Duke University and the Woman's College was officially established).The first scrapbook in her collection documents her undergraduate life at Trinity College (1921-1925), particularly the activities of the football team and the Alpha Delta Pi chapter.
Elizabeth Fronde Kennedy Papers, 1960 and undated
The collection includes a portion of Kennedy's autobiography, in which she describes her experiences as Dean of Women at Trinity College, as well as a letter written in 1960 to Louise Seabolt, a former student at Trinity. There is also a copy of the same autobiographical portion which was annotated by Duke history professor Anne F. Scott.
Parthenon Club Records, 1916-1924
Active from 1916 until 1924, the Parthenon Club was an organization for female students and faculty of Trinity College. The club promoted interest in the language, literature, and art of ancient Greek and Roman cultures, especially the work of women.
M. Emeth Tuttle Scrapbooks, 1902-1907
This collection contains two scrapbooks belonging to Tuttle, a member of the Class of 1906. Scrapbook One contains images from Tuttle's time at Trinity College in Durham, NC, including images of her female classmates and campus buildings like Stagg Pavilion, the original library, and the Washington Duke Building. Scrapbook Two is an album with images of the Class of 1906.