Duke gift is double record

PJ staff report | March 15, 2011

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Duke

DURHAM, N.C. - The $80 million gift Duke University received from The Duke Endowment is the largest ever for the school and the largest ever awarded by the Charlotte-based funder.

The funds, which will be paid out over multiple years, will be used to renovate three historic buildings that were part of the university's original construction.

"The Duke Endowment and Duke University have a shared history and a shared vision -- to make this campus the most vibrant, compelling place for the most talented and ambitious students and faculty," Neil Williams, chair of the endowment, says in a statement.

The West Union building, which for more than half a century served as the primary dining and gathering place for students, will be rebuilt completely inside to include social space and dining facilities.

Page Auditorium, a 1,200-seat theater that opened in 1930, will receive an interior makeover to modernize the seating, acoustics, lobby and backstage area.

And Baldwin Auditorium, the primary location for student ensembles, will receive new seats, improved acoustics and additional benefits for patrons.

Construction will occur in phases, beginning with Baldwin Auditorium later this year.

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