Harry Rainey was a great lover of Duke Stores, students and spirit, but "Uncle Harry" did more than just grace the Central Campus store with his nickname. In his 28 years of service at Duke, he became an integral part of campus life and culture.
Rainey, born in Salisbury as one of 12 children, attended East Carolina University, where he met his wife, Kathy.
"Because he was such a good football player, he got a scholarship to go there," Kathy Rainey said. "He was one of the football players judging cheerleading tryouts that year, and that's how I met him. He was the one that chose me."
ECU is where Harry Rainey first began a career in college stores that would remain his primary occupation throughout his life. He worked for ECU stores as an undergraduate and was offered a position there after graduation. After several years, he received an offer to work at Sawyer and Moore in Durham.
After five years there, he accepted a position as assistant manager of Duke Stores and eventually became director, where he found his home.
"During his tenure as director of stores, he was very concerned with what to do with Central Campus," Kathy Rainey said. "He was worried about what those kids would do to get groceries if they didn't have a car. He was very good at making money for Duke, and he had a creative talent. He took one of those creative ideas and said, 'Give me Central Campus and I'll do something with it.'
Not only did Rainey's husband open the store on Central Campus, which he envisioned as an old-time country store, but he also he helped install a soda fountain, grill, tennis courts, pool and picnic area on Central.
When the decision was made to build the store, the University held a naming contest. Students overwhelmingly chose to name the store after their beloved Uncle Harry, Kathy Rainey said.
'Harry loved the students and loved the college atmosphere and they loved him. He developed into a kind of uncle for Duke,' said Pat Walker, who worked as his assistant for 12 years.
'Two years after they opened Uncle Harry's, we had a pumpkin-carving contest on Halloween. We saw some of the most creative pumpkins on campus that year. Whoever won the contest got a weekend in our log cabin in the mountains, and students always enjoyed going up there,' said Kathy Rainey.
Harry Rainey also handed out hot chocolate and gum to students standing in line for books, gave out flowers to mothers at graduation and showed his dedication to Duke sports by helping students in Krzyzewskiville.
'Harry would come home every year and say, 'Those kids are on the ground again with only blankets to keep them warm.',' she said. 'So we would load up our old wood cook stove in the back of the flatbed and I would make biscuits from scratch, and he would cook up some sausage and country ham biscuits on that stove. It kept them warm too.'
Rainey did not focus his attention only on athletic events. While at Duke, he also established a scholarship in honor of Duke Stores Manager Randy Yorkey, which helped students pay for textbooks. He also took charge of an annual golf tournament, the Duke Children's Classic, which benefited the children's hospital.
Rainey proved to be as successful managing Duke Stores as he was in gaining the love of students.
When he first took over as director, there were only seven different operations, but at his death there were 28, including the copy center, office products store and a diet and fitness center.
'He was highly regarded by peers. A lot of people would ask his opinion about stuff,' Walker said. 'He was even appointed to the National Association of College Stores board. He got things done and people admired that about him.'
Above all, though, Harry Rainey is remembered by most for his love of students and of the University.
'I always commented that if they would offer him a bedroom behind his office in exchange for staying there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, he probably would have done it because he loved his work so much,' she said. 'While his motivation was money and he made a lot of it for Duke, his real pleasure was keeping people happy.'
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