There is no such thing as business as usual when an institution's mission is "to maintain a place of real leadership in the educational world," in the words of James B. Duke's indenture. Indeed, 2003-2004 was a year of enormous excitement and success for Duke University. Not least, we concluded a magnificent $2.36-billion campaign, exceeding all expectations. Come read here how our faculty, students, staff and alumni continue to give us and the state of North Carolina so much to be proud of.

Your university handled seamlessly a number of transitions among key officers and administrators, spanning various disciplines. We have attracted a stellar new president, Richard H. Brodhead, who leaves his longtime home in New Haven, where he served as Dean of Yale College and the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of English at Yale University. President-elect Brodhead helped to select a very impressive new Chancellor for Health Affairs, Victor J. Dzau, the Hersey Professor of the Theory and Practice of Physic at Harvard Medical School, Chairman of the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, and Physician-in-Chief and Director of Research at Brigham and Women's. Dr. Dzau will carry on Ralph Snyderman's important work in running one of the country's best academic health centers here at Duke.

Meanwhile, in Princeton's George McLendon, we found a gifted and energetic Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, a worthy successor to Bill Chafe. To lead the new Nasher Museum of Art we turned to Kimerly Rorschach, an art historian and administrator par excellence from the University of Chicago. Within the development organization, Bob Shepard has been promoted from Vice President of Development to Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Development upon the retirement of John Piva after 21 productive years as Duke's senior development officer. We also celebrated the numerous accomplishments and seemingly endless energy of our retiring School of Nursing dean, Mary Champagne.

These and other successful searches show that Duke is an attractive place to work as well as study, and our newcomers will join a seasoned and dynamic provost, Peter Lange, executive vice president Tallman Trask, and other senior administrators and deans who will welcome and work closely with them.

I have been struck anew by the skill and goodwill of the many people who are quick to lend a hand and smooth the way, making it possible for me and other administrators to exit gracefully while the newcomers enter fully briefed. Assisted by a transition team which orchestrated Dick Brodhead's visits to Durham, for example, he and I spent many hours together in review and consultation during these last few months. Legions of Duke alumni and friends, students, volunteers and hosts, graduates and parents have helped Dick and his wife, Cindy, feel welcome and understand why Duke inspires such loyalty and affection, not incidentally introducing them to Southern delicacies such as barbeque, hush puppies and sweet tea.

I have the utmost confidence that President Brodhead and his team will take Duke still further along its rising trajectory as the University reinvents itself, as it must do with every generation. At the same time, Duke will be sustained by the values we celebrate, the heritage we honor and our commitment to preserving what is best while striving to become ever better.

Bob and I are proud to have been a part of Duke for the past 11 years, and I am honored to have been your president. Thank you for having given us the opportunity to serve this ambitious, feisty, splendid university.

Nannerl O. Keohane
June 2004