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Museum exhibit shares The Duke Endowment’s 100-year history, James B. Duke’s vision

The Duke Endowment celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

Last updated February 5, 2024

By Furman News


As part of The Duke Endowment’s yearlong centennial celebration, it will tour a traveling exhibit throughout North Carolina and South Carolina to educate and engage the public about the vision of its founder, James B. Duke, and a century of progress he made possible. The exhibit will be available at the Upcountry History Museum in Greenville, S.C. from February 10 through March 3.

Among its other endeavors, the Duke Endowment supports four universities: Furman University, Davidson College, Johnson C. Smith University and Duke University. In recent years, the Endowment has given more than $78.8 million to create The Furman Advantage and to measure its effectiveness. Since its Indenture of Trust in 1924, The Duke Endowment has given Furman nearly $243 million to support teaching, learning, resilience, and scholarships, including the prestigious James B. Duke Scholars.

Through interactive content panels and digital experiences, visitors will learn how Duke and The Duke Endowment helped shape the Carolinas and how Duke’s generosity continues to support the region today. It will also feature stories of the Endowment’s grantees over the past 100 years. The dual-sided exhibit focuses on the Endowment’s past and present. On one side, visitors can learn about Duke and the Duke family, their legacy of community building and philanthropy, and the creation of The Duke Endowment. The other side shares the story of the Endowment today, one century later, and the lasting impacts of its work.

The exhibit was created through a collaboration between The Duke Endowment and Conner Prairie, a leader in creating innovative and engaging museum experiences. The exhibit’s next stop is the Anderson County Museum in Anderson, S.C., beginning in early March.

Several museums and other organizations across the Carolinas will host a digital version of the exhibit, which will be linked from their websites. For additional information about the Endowment’s centennial, visit The Duke Endowment.

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