Incoming freshmen are greeted by a seated statue of Washington Duke as they first approach the East Campus circle. Mr. Duke also serves another function. Legend has it that if he rises out of his chair, it signals that a virgin has just walked by.
Like many of the statues on campus, the Washington Duke statue is steeped in history and tradition. The statues memorializing the Duke family and the Sower statue, for instance, have been subject to University lore since their initial revealings.
Located on East Campus, adjacent to the East Duke Building, the Sower is frequently mistaken for Johnny Appleseed. The Sower, the only campus statue depicting a person not in the Duke family or affiliated with the University, was donate by James B. Duke. Duke bestowed the statue upon the University after a visit by Bishop Kilgo to Duke's estate.
"While visiting Mr. Duke, [Bishop Kilgo, former president of Trinity College] was attracted to the statue by the manliness and strength of the face, with its firm chin and lips, and its expression of manhood," The Chronicle reported in 1914. The German-made statue has been on East Campus ever since.
"When there were stricter social regulations in the '30s and '40s, students could walk around campus and it would not count as a date," said Thomas Harkins, associate university archivist. "They would put a penny in the Sower's hand and if it was still there when they returned, they could kiss."
The statue is also prey to students' less romantic aims. On December 18, 1993, the Sower spent the night on its face, presumably the result of a prank.
The likeness of James B. Duke has also been subject to the handiwork of mischievous students. First unveiled in front of the Chapel in 1935, the statue was a source of discontent among the student population. Supposedly, students were unhappy because of its location and potential distraction from the Gothic architecture, a concept familiar to modern day Dukies upset by the glowing statue on the West Campus Plaza.
The 1935 uproar prompted then President William Few to release a statement in The Chronicle on March 22, saying that the location of the founder's statue was in accordance with the original architects' plans for the University.
Despite the original uproar, students have found uses for the statue.
"My mom told me once about how they covered the James B. Duke statue in tinfoil when there were UFO sightings [in Rocky Mount, NC] and made a big sign that said 'Greetings Earthlings," freshman Kait Nagi said.
Duke students, mostly during the '60s and '70s, have also dressed him up as a shiek, Charlie Chaplin and a political candidate. One photograph even shows him tarred and feathered. He has also been used to advertise political rallies and student parties.
Unfortunately, students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also picked up on the trend.
"It's hard to tell because the pictures are black and white, but James B. Duke was [once] painted blue and it doesn't look like dark blue," Harkins joked. "It could be light blue. I'm not saying anything, but it could've been our neighbors."
Like the statue of his father, James B. Duke's statue has become the subject of Duke lore. Rumor has it that the cigar in his hand is warm to the touch.
Only time will tell whether the newest addition to the Duke family statuary will also achieve legendary status on campus. Unveiled in 1999, Benjamin Duke's likeness was introduced as part of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the signing of the Indenture of Trust which created the University.
"There are things that stay on in the mythology, like the graduation requirements that get passed on," Harkins said. "It seems silly, but if you think about the purpose things like that serve, they help form community. Statues and mythologies help to personalize this great, big place."
The Sower statue
Located on East Campus
Adjacent to the East Duke Building
Unveiled 1914
Was made in Germany near Berlin
Sculptor was named Stephan Walter
Washington Duke statue
Located at entrance to East Campus
Friends of W. Duke, who commissioned the statue specifically requested a seated position for the statue after his 1905 death
Sculpted by Edward Virginius Valentine who was then 67
Benjamin Duke statue
Located on East Campus Quadrangle
In front of Baldwin Auditorium
Unveiled Oct. 2, 1999
Sculpted by Steven H. Smith, who has sculptures displayed in 6 different states
James B. Duke statue
Located in front of the Duke Chapel
Unveiled June 3, 1935
It says philanthropist on one side and industrialist on the other
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