Members of the Duke and Durham community, as well as visitors from around the country, will gather to honor the memory of John Hope and Aurelia Franklin Thursday.
"A Celebration of the Lives of John Hope and Aurelia Whittington Franklin" begins at 11 a.m. in the Duke Chapel. The event marks the couple's 69th wedding anniversary. Aurelia Franklin died in 1999 and in accordance with the Franklins' wishes, no funeral services were held.
Former president Bill Clinton will give the featured remarks for the event alongside Vernon Jordan, a prominent attorney and civil rights advocate who was a long-time friend of both Franklin and Clinton.
Other speakers Thursday include President Richard Brodhead, trustee emerita Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans and Thavolia Glymph, professor of African and African American studies.
In addition to speakers, musical guests will perform during the service. Eric Pritchard, a violinist and associate professor of the practice of music and James Ketch, a trumpeter and professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's department of music will perform pieces composed in memory of Aurelia and John Hope Franklin, respectively. There will also be a performance by the Fisk University Jubilee Singers-representing the alma mater of John Hope and Aurelia Franklin.
A large number of students are planning to attend the event to honor John Hope Franklin and the legacy he left behind.
"It's a nice thing that the University is doing for him because he has done so much for the University and the country-It's just really great that so many people, so many important people like former president Clinton, are going to attend," senior Lindsay Roach said.
Students said the fact that a former president of the United States is speaking makes the event event even more meaningful.
"Of course, I was really excited to hear he was coming and I have never heard him speak before," said senior Tiffany Gillis, who is leaving her work early to ensure she has a seat at the event. "I'm really excited to be able to be up close and hear him speak in person."
Officials expect the campus to be crowded Thursday as the University is also hosting three Durham high schools' graduation ceremonies. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early for the event due to the limited number of seating and parking available. Overflow seating will be available in Page Auditorium, where guests can watch the event via closed-circuit television. The event will also be streamed online via live webcast and aired on UNC-TV.
Parking will be available in the Bryan Center's parking garage, as well as the parking lots on Duke University Road near Campus Drive.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.