Preceded by John Carlisle Kilgo Name William Few | Succeeded by Robert Lee Flowers Books The papers and addresses | |
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Born December 29, 1867
Greenville County, South Carolina ( 1867-12-29 ) Died October 16, 1940, Durham, North Carolina, United States Education Wofford College, Harvard University | ||
Richard Brodhead, President of Duke University
William Preston Few (December 29, 1867 – October 16, 1940) was the first president of Duke University and the fifth president of its predecessor, Trinity College.
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Early life
Few received his B.A. from Wofford College, Class of 1889, where he was a member of the Chi Phi Fraternity. He also received a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Career
Few joined the faculty of Trinity College in Durham, North Carolina in 1896 as a professor of English. He became dean in 1902 and president in 1910.
In 1924, Few presided over the transformation of Trinity College into Duke University, and was president of the renamed university until his death in 1940. During his 30 years as president, Few oversaw an expansion of the institution that is difficult to compare in modern terms. He worked with James B. Duke to make The Duke Endowment a reality and led the school’s growth from a college of 363 students and 32 faculty in 1910 to a university consisting of nine schools, 3,716 students, and 476 faculty. Much of the growth occurred during the Great Depression, which brought hard financial times to most universities. He died of coronary thrombosis in 1940.
William Few was a member of The Order of the Red Friars, a Duke University secret society.
Death
Few died on October 16, 1940.