When The Mary Duke Biddle Foundation was established in 1956, Duke was a regional institution located in the segregated South, with separate campuses for men and women students. Its hospital and medical school were young but flourishing; just a few years earlier, Duke pediatrician Jay Arena had developed the childproof safety cap. To ensure the continued growth of the educational enterprise that bears her family name, Mary Duke Biddle and her advisors stipulated that at least 50 percent of the Foundation’s principal or income be directed to Duke University.

Biddle would be amazed at the pace of research and discovery taking place at Duke University and Medical Center today. Members of the Duke community pioneer medical breakthroughs, prepare gifted young people to be tomorrow’s leaders, and provide enrichment opportunities through the arts. In 2007, the Foundation awarded more than $862,000 to various departments and programs dedicated to these activities.

At the Nasher Museum of Art, Foundation grants helped fund several impressive exhibits, including the provocative paintings of contemporary African-American artist Barkley Hendricks, an installation retrospective by Romanian couple Dan and Lia Perjovschi, and the forthcoming show, "El Greco to Velázquez: Art During the Reign of Philip III," that opens in the fall of 2008. Additional grants to the Nasher ensure the vitality of other artistic endeavors that are less visible, but no less important, such as student internships, conservation efforts, and cultural outreach for the Duke and Durham communities. Oboe Joe: Artist-in-residence Robinson. Photo by MICHAEL DIVITO

Our ongoing support of the music department has a clear emphasis on the development of young musicians and composers. Grants include those for graduate fellowships, workshops and master classes, and educational opportunities such as lectures and new music performances. This year, the Foundation-supported Artist-in-Residency program featured North Carolina native and world-renowned oboist Joseph Robinson, who played with the New York Philharmonic for nearly three decades. At Duke, he teaches a course, and performs in a variety of settings.

Connecting students with established practitioners also takes place in the theater and dance programs. During its residency at Duke, for example, the Classical Theater of Harlem, in keeping with its mission to introduce the classics to young, culturally diverse audiences, led a Shakespeare workshop in the Durham public schools. Through the Theater Previews program, students worked closely with Broadway producers and Tonynominated director Wilson Milam on the development and production of The Great Game. And dance students learned from Tyler Walters, an assistant professor of the practice and former principal dancer for the Joffrey Ballet. Sing a song: Sheet music from the Norma Preston Collection. COURTESY RARE BOOK, MANUSCRIPT AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY, DUKE UNIVERSITY. Love, betrayal, intrigue: The Great Game. COURTESY THEATER PREVIEWS AT DUKE

On the medical center side of the university, Foundation grants continued to fund scholarship and education initiatives, as well as clinical research efforts. On the international stage, Duke is involved in a variety of conversations about the political and moral imperatives of improving global health. We were pleased to be among the contributors to the Catherine Wilfert, MD, Fellowship in Pediatric Infectious Diseases, which helps train young doctors specializing in infectious diseases, particularly in developing countries.

We’re also proud to see how many of our partners at Duke have blossomed through the years. The Health Arts Network at Duke (HAND) was established nearly thirty years ago through the efforts of physician and Foundation trustee James H. Semans. Today, its programming includes a literary roundtable that brings together writers, patients, and families to hear and discuss poetry and prose; ongoing multimedia exhibits by and for patients; and a performing arts component that brings musicians and dancers to the rooms and halls of the medical center. HAND has become a national leader in helping arts organizations and healthcare institutions forge productive collaborations.