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Born on February 14, 1900 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, Elizabeth Wyckoff Durham (EWD) grew up in a family dedicated to music. Her father John Wyckoff Durham, born May 11, 1873, was involved with music throughout his life. After studying music abroad, he returned to New Brunswick where he served as an organist for various local and neighboring churches and gave piano lessons. He died on October 11, 1913 at the age of forty-one after a long illness. Elizabeth's mother Ruth Hulshizer Durham was born in Phillipsburg and married John in 1899. A graduate of the Moravian Seminary where she studied to be a concert pianist, Ruth gave piano lessons and while raising her three daughters. After her husband's death, Ruth took over John's position as organist and served in that post for over ten years. In an effort to share her appreciation for music, Ruth donated music materials to the New Jersey College for Women (Douglass College) and to Rutgers College. She continued to venture further into the public sphere by working as an accountant at an aircraft plant in World War I and, after women gained the vote, served as Vice-Chairman of the Middlesex County Republican Committee until 1930. Ruth was a member of the board of directors of the Middlesex Hospital Aid Association until her poor health forced her to stop working. She died on April 10, 1943.

Elizabeth had two younger sisters, Leila, also called "Tommy," and Charlotte. Leila graduated from high school in 1920 and was active during her early life in studying and performing vocal music. She also served as Vice Chairman of the Young Republicans and served on the Second District of the Fourth Ward election board in New Brunswick. Leila appears to have been married to William Kibbe of Highland Park circa 1940, but later appears to have married Leslie Gladwell. She died on November 14, 1958. Charlotte Durham was born on February 26, 1904. She was active in her church and worked alongside her sister Elizabeth in the Rutgers Alumni Association office. She married Daniel Ballard Frazier on October 25, 1941 and died in 1968.

During her senior year at New Brunswick High School, Elizabeth served as the Assistant Editor on the student staff of The Advocate, a monthly literary publication. She graduated from New Brunswick High School in 1917 and entered the first class at the newly opened New Jersey College for Women (later to become Douglass College of Rutgers University). In her first year, she served as class Vice-President and continued to serve in various positions throughout her academic career. As a sophomore, Elizabeth was engaged to Charles Chalmers, who was attending Rutgers College. According to her journal, he dropped out of school and at some point the engagement was broken off. Graduating in the first class of the New Jersey College for Women in 1922, Elizabeth Durham embarked upon a career characterized by dedication to Rutgers University. Her establishment of the Elizabeth Durham Award in Music for graduating music majors with honors from Douglass College reflected her personal interest in music and helping students. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in economics and was vigorously active in alumni work, church work and personal improvement. In 1941 she was designated the Alumnae President for the Class of 1922.

Upon graduation from the New Jersey College for Women, Elizabeth (also known as "Betty" and "Rusty") served as Assistant to the Alumni Director of Rutgers University until 1944. From 1944 to 1963, Ms. Durham served successively as Class Notes Editor, Associate Editor, and Managing Editor for the Rutgers Alumni Monthly (now known as Rutgers Magazine ). From 1963 until her retirement in 1967, EWD served as the Associate Coordinator of Bicentennial Observances (1966) for Rutgers University.

Concurrent to her work with the Rutgers' Alumni Office, Elizabeth was also a member of the American Alumni Council (AAC) and served as the AAC annual yearbook editor from 1942 to 1950. She was also inducted as an honorary member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), which succeeded the AAC.

In 1941, Elizabeth Durham was awarded the first Margaret T. Corwin Award for Alumnae Service from Douglass College, the first of many awards and citations that she received for her services to the college and university. She received the Alumni Service Award in 1953 and was honored by a Rutgers University Tribute in 1967. In 1986, Elizabeth became the first woman awarded the Loyal Son of Rutgers University Award and thus the word "Daughter" was appended to the title.

In addition to her alumni activities, Durham was active in both community and church activities. Elizabeth held the position of treasurer and president of the New Brunswick chapter of the English Speaking Union. In addition to this position, Elizabeth also served as archivist/historiographer and chairman of the Bicentennial Committee for the Christ Church (Episcopal) of New Brunswick.

Around the 1970s until 1991, Elizabeth moved out of her family home at 144 Welton Street and lived in an apartment complex at 11 Raritan Avenue in Highland Park until moving into the Parker Memorial Home, a nursing home, in New Brunswick. In her later years, Elizabeth remained active, regularly composing essays for the New Brunswick chapter of the Travelers Club and contributing articles to the Parker Memorial Home newsletter.

She died on January 27, 2003 in New Brunswick, New Jersey at the age of 102 years.