The annual William Preston Few Lecture takes its name from Duke University’s first president, who articulated a vision of education promoting the courage to seek the truth and the conviction to live it.

The series is funded by the William Preston Few Endowment for Duke Chapel, which was established in 1986 by Kendrick S. Few ’39 as a memorial to his father, William Preston Few.

As president of Trinity College beginning in 1910, William Preston Few oversaw the transformation of Trinity into Duke University through the philanthropy of James B. Duke and the Duke family. Few became the president of
the new university, presiding over the construction of West Campus, including Duke University Chapel, and the creation of five graduate schools. A professor of English and active layman in the Methodist Church, Few had a civic-minded view of education, which he articulated in his inaugural address when he became president of Trinity College. “Colleges, like men, are subject to the immutable law of greatness through service,” he said. Twenty-five years later at the dedication of Duke Chapel, Few said that the new building at the center of the university would be dedicated “to the glory of the Creator and the relief of man’s estate.”

With a mission today of “bridging faith and learning,” Duke Chapel presents the William Preston Few Lecture as a platform for highlighting leaders and ideas that build on President Few’s vision, faith, and wisdom for putting knowledge in the service of humanity.

Past Lectures

Read about past Few Lectures and watch a recording when it is available.

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