The Board of Trustees of Duke University was originally formed when the Union Institute Society's 1839 constitution established a body with responsibility for the oversight of the affairs of Union Institute Academy of Randolph County, North Carolina. The Board was legally recognized in 1841 by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly incorporating Union Institute Academy as a private school for boys. In 1851, the Union Institute Academy changed to become Normal College, an institution dedicated to the training of teachers. The Board members remained largely the same, but new members were also added. In 1856, the Board approved resolutions to allow Normal College to become the official college of the North Carolina Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. With the change came more Board members representing the Methodist Church, and a new charter was approved by the Board. In 1859, Normal College changed its name to "Trinity College." A set of bylaws was also drawn up, and these by-laws form the basis of Duke University's present-day bylaws.
In 1892, Trinity College moved to Durham County to take advantage of a more urban setting and to seek more financial support. In 1924, the University received a major endowment from James B. Duke, who along with his father, Washington Duke, and brother, Benjamin Duke, had made a fortune in tobacco and power companies. In his honor, the Board of Trustees changed the name of Trinity College to Duke University (although the undergraduate institution still retains the name Trinity College).
Although the bylaws of the Board have been modified over the years, the Duke University Board of Trustees is still the body that makes the university's major administrative and strategic decisions. The Board consists of 36 members, including the current president of Duke University. As of 2005, the Bylaws of Duke University stated, "The thirty-six elected Trustees shall be elected as follows: twelve by the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; twelve by the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church; and twelve by the graduates of Duke University." The Board is administered by the Office of the University Secretary. To read the current bylaws of Duke University and to see a list of current Board members, visit the University Secretary's webpage at: http://www.duke.edu/web/ous/
From the guide to the Board of Trustees Records, ., 1860-ongoing, (University Archives, Duke University)
