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Friends of the Chapel Historical Lists
The following information is gleaned from a variety of sources - correspondence,
notices, newsletters - on deposit as the records of the Friends in the University
Archives. The records are incomplete.
Presidents Friends of the Chapel
- 1974-’78 William E. King
- 1979 Mary Parkerson
- 1980-’82 Arthur Kale
- 1982-’84 Ella Jean Shore
- 1984-’86 Bill Stokes
- 1987-’90 Mary Putman
- 1990-’92 Bill Briner
- 1992 Miriam Hage
Annual Meetings
- December 6, 1975 First meeting scheduled around the Messiah
- 1976 no record
- 1977 Dramatic production “By Faith the Word Became Flesh,” an
interpretation of five Biblical passages in music, words and dance.
Heather Murray Elkins, author, director.
- 1978 Bernstein’s Mass, combined choirs performed in Page
Auditorium
- 1979 Tom Driver, Professor Union Theological Seminary
- 1980 Reynolds Price, Professor of English
- 1981 Bishop Kenneth Goodson, Bishop in Residence, Duke Divinity
School
- 1982 Mary D. B. T. Semans, Chair of The Duke Endowment and member
of the founding family
- 1983 Marge and Barney Jones who shared experiences as respectively
as Chapel hostess for seventeen years and Minister to the University
for five years.
- 1984 Ian Sutherland, Graduate student and choir member who photographed
the Chapel windows
- 1985 William E. King, program on the life of the Chapel from
the University Archives
- 1986 Peter Williams, Chapel Organist
- 1987 William E. King, Illustrated program on the architecture
of the Duke Campus with Julian Abele Jr., the son of the Chief
Designer of the architectural firm, as special guest
- 1988 J. Benjamin Smith, Director of the Chapel Choir
- 1989 Bishop Kenneth Goodson
- 1990 J. Samuel Hammond, Carillonneur
- 1991 Caroline Bruzelius, Chair of the Art and Art History Department
- 1992 no record
- 1993 Paul Hardin, Chancellor, UNC-CH, and former Duke undergraduate,
law student and faculty member
- 1994 Robert F. Durden, Professor of History
The Friends of the Chapel
The Friends of the Chapel was organized by Robert T. Young, Minister
to the University, in 1974. Such a support group had long been
proposed by James T. Cleland, Dean
of the Chapel. As officially stated the purpose of the Friends was “to
provide a direct tie between persons interested in the Chapel and the programs
and services of the Chapel; to interest all such persons in the growth and development
of the best possible programs for the Chapel; to offer a sense of belonging to
that community of persons who wish to be related to the Chapel; and to provide
a community of continuing support for the ministry which emanates from the Chapel.” Toward
these goals, the Friends has elected officers, formed committees and hosted annual
meetings.
The following are a few of the varied programs of the Friends:
assisting in the design and construction of handicapped accessibility
for the Chapel; the
creation of a Chapel lounge for family members at the time of weddings
and funerals; providing for the weekly radio broadcast of the Sunday
service; assisting with
the employment of sound consultants and the implementation of the Chapel
sound system; purchasing of music, robes, hymnals, platform raisers
and the payment
of musicians and artists to complement a variety of Chapel programs; and
the creation and support for the Chapel Humanitarian Service Award.
Through the years,
the Friends has gladly shared its gifts and talent to make the “great towering
church” sought by benefactor James B. Duke to be, indeed, the center
of the university.
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