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The 'Firsts' Return for 50th Anniversary Celebration

U.S. Sen. Cowan to keynote free event during Reunion Weekend Saturday in Page Auditorium

Photo Courtesy Mary Lou Williams Center
Photo Courtesy Mary Lou Williams Center

Since Duke began its nine-month commemoration of 50 years of black students at Duke, many alumni, both black and white, have written in to share their reflections on the pain and triumph of integration. Decades later, many recall hurtful moments as the campus diversified while others shared fond memories of acceptance and tolerance on the predominately white campus. All agree that moment 50 years ago paved the way for Duke to become the diverse, world-class university it is today.

To mark the occasion, a university committee planned a community-wide celebration recognizing the contributions of not only the black students who were the first to enroll, but also the contributions of black alumni, faculty and staff. The launch in January was postponed due to icy road conditions, but this Saturday the celebration will go on as planned.

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The event coincides with Duke's Reunion Weekend. The three surviving first black undergraduates will be honored along with the first black students in the graduate and professional schools during a celebration that promises to be larger than the one planned for January.

The event will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13, in Page Auditorium, during Duke's Reunion Weekend. U.S. Sen. William "Mo" Cowan of Massachusetts, a 1991 Duke graduate, will deliver the keynote address after an introduction by President Richard H. Brodhead. A short, documentary video with first-hand accounts of Duke's integration in the late '60s and early '70s will be screened.

The free event is open to the public, although tickets are required. To get tickets, visit http://tinyurl.com/Duke50th. Tickets will be available for pick up an hour before the event at the Page Box Office in the Bryan Center. Light refreshments will be served in the Great Hall on West Campus following the address.

Wilhelmina Reuben-Cooke, Nathaniel White Jr., and Gene Kendall, the three surviving members of the first five black undergraduates, will return to campus to be honored along with the families of Mary Mitchell Harris and Cassandra Rush, Harris and Rush are both deceased. In addition, the first black students to attend Duke's graduate and professional schools will attend: Donna Allen Harris, W. Delano Meriwether, Ida Stephens Owens, David Robinson II, Jean Gaillard Spaulding and Catherine Gibson Taylor. More information here.

Free parking is available in the H Parking Lot (corner of Anderson and Yearby: http://maps.duke.edu/map/?id=21&mrkId=2983). Free shuttle service will be provided from the lot to Page Auditorium from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Overflow seating will be available in Griffith Theater in the Bryan Center.

Those unable to attend can watch a live stream of the event on the university's Ustream channel, ustream.tv/duke-university. Viewers can post comments on Twitter using the hashtag #Duke50th. An archive of the recording will also be posted online.

A public reception launching the nine-month commemoration of Duke's first black students was cancelled in January because of bad weather and dangerous road conditions. Nearly 700 people had registered for that event.

Cowan's talk, which will focus on the role of education, will highlight the contributions of Duke's African-American community -- students, alumni, faculty and staff.

"As a proud alumnus, it's an honor to be a part of acknowledging Duke University's outstanding effort to cultivate a diverse community for their students both inside and outside of the classroom," Cowan said. "But of even deeper importance and measure of personal gratitude is the opportunity to celebrate the courage and strength of the young men and women who joined that first integrated class in 1963. I am excited to return to Durham to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first black students at Duke. They paved the way for the young black men and women who followed them, and their burden has been my gain."

Cowan, a Yadkinville native and 1991 Duke alumnus with a bachelor's degree in sociology, was recently sworn in as a U.S. senator representing Massachusetts, filling John Kerry's vacant seat. His interim term ends June 25. He is the first African-American to represent Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate since 1978.  

Cowan is the former chief of staff to Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. After Duke, Cowan received his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and practiced civil litigation as an associate and later as a partner in the Boston office of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.

"We are very excited to welcome Senator Cowan back to Duke for this very meaningful event. His lifelong commitment to public service is an inspiration to current and future generations of Duke students," said Michael Schoenfeld, Duke's vice president of public affairs and government relations and co-chair of Duke's 50th anniversary committee.

For information about the nine-month commemoration of Duke's first black students, go to http://spotlight.duke.edu/50years. For more details about other Reunion Weekend events, visit http://dukealumni.com/reunions-homecoming/reunions/schedule-of-events.