Ceremonial garb and prestigious awards characterized the annual Founder' Day Convocation Thursday afternoon in the Duke Chapel.
Several hundred members of the Duke community gathered to listen to President Richard Brodhead's convocation address, celebrate Duke's traditions and honor past and present leaders of the University.
"This Founders' Day we celebrate the fact that Duke University was founded to put intelligence to human use, not in a narrow sense but in a way that draws on all of our capacities and speaks to all our needs," Brodhead said in his address. "I presume this is what James B. Duke meant when he expressed his wish 'to make provisions for mankind along physical and mental and spiritual lines.'"
Brodhead's speech traced the evolution of the University and touched on current initiatives. He spoke about the community's diversified response to Hurricane Katrina and several new facilities opening on campus this fall.
"In a way I have come to find quite inspiring, Duke has taught me to think of the University as a problem-solving place, a place where intellectual inquiry can be mounted with great subtlety and power without shutting itself into an isolated space of abstract expertise; a place where intelligence is energized by the challenges of real-world problems and exercises its powers in devising their solutions," Brodhead said.
He then bestowed four awards on members of the Duke community who have demonstrated excellence in their respective fields.
Brodhead awarded the University's highest honor, the University Medal for Distinguished Meritorious Service, to former University Archivist William King.
King was the University's first archivist. He was appointed in 1972 by then-president Terry Sanford and stepped down after 30 years of service in 2002.
Brodhead called King a "cornerstone" of the University and said many members of Duke's top brass learned most of what they know about the history of the University from King.
Dr. Paul Farmer, Trinity '82, received the Distinguished Alumni Award, which has previously been given to notable alumni such as Raymond Nasher, Class of '43, and Reynolds Price, Class of '55.
"We are pleased, I should say honored, to present the Distinguished Alumni Award to a person who has wisdom and has been caring to a worldwide constituency," Brodhead said.
Farmer, who was the subject of Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains, was acknowledged for his humanitarian service.
He founded the Partners in Health organization, which helps treat infectious diseases among Haiti's poor.
The Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award was given to Connel Fullenkamp, a visiting associate professor in the economics department.
Brodhead said students praised the eccentric professor, whose outfit often includes a polka-dot tie and suspenders, for his challenging but inspiring courses.
Philip Costanzo, professor in the Department of Psychology, was given the University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award. Brodhead praised Costanzo for his mentorship and the quality of his published works.
Robin Chandler Duke, the widow of Angier Biddle Duke, received an honorary Degree. Angier Biddle Duke was the great-grandson of University namesake Washington Duke.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.