Originally a
Christian school, Duke University was still called Trinity College
(after the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) when the Duke family dumped $6
million of cigarette money into its lap. Quicker than you could rip open
a pack of Camels, Trinity came off and the Dukes' name went on.
But James Duke didn't feel fully at ease with the idea of knocking
God's name off the marquee, and--perhaps to smooth things over with the
Almighty--decided to build the campus a chapel.
In general, the university closely followed James Duke's specifications
regarding the structure. It was, for instance, built upon the highest
spot on campus. (Early plans to have stained-glass depictions of the
disciples puffing away on their favorite American Tobacco Company
products, however, were eventually shelved.)
The term "chapel," however, was a bit of an understatement. The
neo-Gothic Duke University Chapel is patterned after Canterbury
Cathedral, is hung with 50 bells, and contains more than 800 carved and
painted figures (all non-smoking). James intended the structure to be
the central building on campus, and sure enough, the chapel's 210-foot
tower has become the best-known emblem of Duke University. (From Moon Travel Handbooks: North Carolina, 2nd Edition, 2003.)
