Forgive Allison Haltom if she has gone to Duke in her mind-she's called it home for more than four decades.
This winter, however, Haltom, Woman's College '72 and longtime University secretary, will retire, leaving behind her eighth-grade ambition and the post she has held for many years.
"I am ready to spread my wings beyond Duke," she said. "It may be difficult after 36 years in the nest, but I will find out January 1."
Raised in Denton, N.C., Haltom was the first person from her high school to be admitted to Duke. She estimated that there have probably been only two or three since.
"I don't know if it was a sort of halo effect that I wanted to go-I was enamored with Duke as being a really, really good school," she said. "It was kind of like going beyond what was expected."
Haltom said even at a young age, when she pledged to get straight 'A's to gain admittance to her dream school, education had been important to her.
"My father used to say an education was the only thing he could give me that no one could take away from me," she said.
Having seen Duke's transition into a co-educational university and the leadership of three presidents, her perspective was "invaluable," in the words of President Richard Brodhead, who said her knowledge was key to easing his transition into Duke three years ago.
"Duke is a better place now than it was when I went, partially because it is more diverse," she said. "We lived in a sort of bubble, and I have had the privilege to be part of the change."
One thing she said she does not think has changed, however, is Duke's sense of community.
"There was a man who worked [in the East Campus Store] named Mr. Pickett. He would put a piece of candy in each of the mailboxes and would write a little note, 'Hope you're having a good day,' things like that," she said. "He liked to take care of us. That wasn't his job, but it was so nice to have someone like that."
When she graduated, she was reluctant to leave the Duke community just yet. As a second-semester senior in 1972, she had begun working with the Annual Giving Campaign in the Development Office-a position she expected to hold for only six months.
And though she had been admitted to law school, she joined the Office of Undergraduate Admissions as assistant director following graduation.
Five years later, she was still at Duke, working in the Office of Annual Giving. She was appointed university secretary in 1986 and vice president in 2000.
She now manages the activities of the Board of Trustees, directs commencement and manages the hiring of senior University officials, serving on the committee that helped appoint Brodhead.
"Allison Haltom knows Duke inside and out, and has been a wonderfully devoted servant of this university," Brodhead wrote in an e-mail. "She is the kind of person who holds the web of generations together in the life of Duke."
In addition to witnessing Duke's growth, she has also served an active role in making a palpable difference, making women's issues a particularly important part of her agenda.
She has been a member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors since 1990 and served on the Women's Studies Council from 1993 to 1999. Haltom also chaired the Committee on Child and Family Issues from 1993 to 1995.
She steadfastly credits the Duke community for all that she has accomplished.
"We stand on the shoulders of others," she said. "It's not one person if a university is going to be special-it's got to be the sum of the parts."
Following her retirement, Haltom said she plans to focus on a number of volunteer interests.
Haltom's husband, David McClay, is a professor of biology, and her daughter, Katie, is a 2001 alumna. Her son chose Davidson, a choice she called "heartbreaking," forging an even tighter bond between her and the University. Haltom said Duke, and the interests and progress of students, will always be dear to her, even in retirement.
"Duke has grown in national prominence and it has benefited by the reputation," she said. "Duke has developed in these 35 years-but these things that are charming and good are nice to maintain. I hope students still find a 'Mr. Picketts' out there."
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