Fitzhugh Durham Duncan

Fitzhugh Durham Duncan
Fitzhugh Durham Duncan. Image Source: Buccaneer, 1963, p. 11.

Fitzhugh Durham Duncan served East Carolina variously as treasurer, business manager, and vice president from 1936 to 1970, overseeing all matters related to public funding for the school including salaries, student accounts, campus maintenance, and construction projects. Although not an appointed member of the board of trustees, Duncan reported to it regularly on the school’s finances and the multifaceted dimensions of his responsibilities in administering them. Much as with John Barham Spilman, his predecessor (1868–1935), Duncan’s relationship to the trustees derived from his standing as East Carolina’s chief financial officer rather than appointment by a governor and confirmation by the State Board of Education.

Although a modest, low-profile administrator, Duncan was often in the news managing matters related to growth, planning, and construction at East Carolina as it experienced unprecedented expansion during the administrations of Dr. John D. Messick (1897–1993) and Dr. Leo W. Jenkins (1913–1989). During those years, Duncan orchestrated the full development of the original campus acreage and then acquisition of additional property between Tenth and Fourteenth Streets at the east end of the campus, i.e., the College Hill area, and successive dormitory construction projects that grew along it, effectively adding a southern corridor to that end of the school. And where East Carolina grew, so did Greenville, giving the projects Duncan directed a larger relevance to the burgeoning local community.

In his final years, Duncan coordinated yet another leap forward, this time across Fourteenth Street and extending to the 264 Bypass, now known as Greenville Boulevard, bordered on the west by Charles Boulevard. On this additional expanse, Duncan orchestrated construction of East Carolina’s new athletic campus including Ficklen Stadium (now Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium) and Minges Coliseum. In tandem, Greenville grew exponentially along the same route, finding in the higher ground to the southeast of the town’s historic center and the main campus considerable room for socio-economic transformation.

By the end of his tenure, Duncan had presided over a phenomenal transformation of the campus and the community: in 1967, still three years prior to his retirement, East Carolina spanned 300 acres and included 52 buildings, nearly 10 times the size of the original campus established 60 years earlier. In 1936, the year Duncan joined East Carolina, enrollment stood at approximately 800 and the operating budget was $280,000. The physical value of the campus was $3 million. In 1970, the year he resigned, enrollment was 10,000, the operating budget, $19 million, and the value of the campus, $60 million. In no small part, Duncan deserves credit for the efficient and successful expansion of the campus during his tenure.

Duncan hailed from Rutherford County in the western part of the state. In 1928, he completed a degree in business administration at the University of North Carolina. He next studied law at UNC and was admitted to the North Carolina bar in 1929. He then worked for eight years with the Finance and Accounting Division of the State Board of Education in Raleigh. In 1936, Duncan joined East Carolina as chief business officer, assuming the responsibilities earlier coordinated by J. B. Spilman. While he was later promoted to vice president, a position he shared with Leo Jenkins who was vice president of student and academic affairs, Duncan’s job — coordinating the use of state funds appropriated to East Carolina and managing the physical campus’ maintenance and growth — remained much the same. After an exceptional career, he retired in 1970.

During Duncan’s tenure as business manager, state auditors uncovered financial mismanagement of student funds by the school’s president, Dr. Leon R. Meadows (1884–1953). Meadows was eventually arrested, indicted, and convicted of embezzlement and false pretense. The embezzled funds were, however, beyond Duncan’s purview: while he, Duncan, was responsible for accounting for public funds, the misused monies were from special student accounts. During Robert H. Wright’s (1870–1934) administration, the trustees had given the president of the school authority to handle those funds personally, as he saw fit for the benefit of the school. Meadows, well aware of the exceptional authority assigned to the school’s president vis-à-vis those funds, informed Duncan of the same, suggesting in effect that his, Meadows’, handling of them was not a matter of Duncan’s concern. Duncan did not object to this arrangement, most likely trusting the judgment of his boss, the school president, Dr. Meadows. When called to testify during Meadows’ trial, Duncan was faulted by Meadows’ attorneys for not having objected to the unchecked authority that Meadows had. In effect, the defense attorneys sought to blame Duncan for Meadows’ wrongs. Neither the judge nor the jury was persuaded by this ploy.

As a witness for the state, Duncan provided testimony damaging Meadows’ claims of innocence. He related, for example, that Meadows had given him a check for $95.45 for a Kelvinator purchased with special student funds but meant for Meadows’ own personal use. Although the check was meant to reimburse the student funds, Duncan’s testimony made it clear that Meadows was using student funds to finance his own personal purchases, not those of the school. Duncan also offered testimony suggesting that Meadows had altered receipts to make his use of funds appear justified. While Duncan’s testimony helped the prosecution, the scandal left a cloud, by association, over Duncan’s tenure as business manager even though he had done no wrong. Indeed, it is quite possible that it was Duncan who anonymously alerted auditors for the State Board of Education (where he, Duncan, had once worked) to possible mismanagement of funds.

Most notably, Duncan was consistently impeccable in managing successive building projects that contributed to the campus’ prodigious growth. Among the major construction initiatives that he orchestrated were the Flanagan Building (1939), College Stadium (1949), McGinnis Theatre (1951), Erwin Hall (1952), Bloxton House (1952), Memorial Gymnasium (1952, now Christenbury Memorial Gymnasium), J. Y. Joyner Library (1954), Umstead Dorm (1955), Garrett Dorm (1956), Rawl Building (1959), Jones Dorm (1959), Aycock Dorm (1960, now Legacy Dorm), Ficklen Stadium (1962-1963, now Dowdy-Ficklen), New Austin (1964), Belk Dorm (1966, now Ballard Hall), Fletcher Music Building (1966), Greene Dorm (1966), Minges Coliseum (1966), Howell Science Building (1969), Brewster Building (1970), and the Malene Irons Building (1969–1970). Few if any East Carolina administrators prior or since have overseen more campus initiatives than Duncan.

Another of Duncan’s legacies involved destruction of an architectural icon on campus, once the schools’ massive centerpiece. As early as 1960, Duncan had broached “the future razing of Austin Building,” referring to one of the first and the very largest of the buildings on the original campus, the Administration and Classroom Building, later named Austin after Herbert Austin (1868–1929), one of East Carolina’s founding faculty. After a new classroom building was constructed in 1964 and named Austin, the older building was called “Old Austin.” Although it the centerpiece of the 1908 campus, Old Austin, according to Duncan, “had been inspected by engineers from the State Property Commission and … found to be in extremely poor shape.” One of the engineers commented “of all the state buildings that have ever been abandoned or razed … Austin was in the worst shape of any building he had ever seen.” Duncan therefore suggested that the razing “be undertaken as soon as possible.”

Old Austin was finally razed in 1968 along with Wilson Dormitory to the west of it to make room for two dorms for women, only one of which, Garrett, was actually built. The larger portion of the vacated space was devoted to what came to be the Leo W. Jenkins Fine Arts Center, named after then president, Leo W. Jenkins. The latter project, however, was only realized following Duncan’s retirement. While many regretted the loss of Old Austin, Duncan advocated demolition purely on the grounds of campus safety without allowing nostalgic attachment to architectural icons to compromise the well-being of students, staff, and faculty, once again demonstrating an impeccable administrative approach to campus development.

Sources

  • “Board of Trustees.” Buccaneer. 1963. P. 11. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15314
  • “Board of Trustees.” October 1961. University Archives # UA55.01.1404. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/23084
  • “Campus Y-Hut Now Complete, Ready for Use.” East Carolinian. April 17, 1953. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38321
  • Cleveland, Linda. “Dedicated vice-president retires after 34 years of service here.” Fountainhead. April 9, 1970. Pp. 1, 3. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/39466
  • “College Plans to Construct Dormitories.” East Carolinian. September 11, 1953. P. 4. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38325
  • “Construction Bids Open for New Boys Dormitory.” East Carolinian. July 27, 1961. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38705
  • “Construction Projects Enlarge Facilities.” East Carolinian. August 9, 1962. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38767
  • “Construction Progresses on Campus Building Program.” East Carolinian. January 21, 1969. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/39389
  • “Dean Leo Jenkins, F. D. Duncan Named College Vice-Presidents.” East Carolinian. October 13, 1955. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38383
  • “Duncan Cites Improvements Planned and in Progress.” East Carolinian. August 4, 1960. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38669
  • “Duncan Explains Slowness in Construction: Quicksand Vein Delays Women’s Dorm Plans; Work Begins Soon.” East Carolinian. March 26, 1954. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38346
  • “Facelifting Alters Quaintness of Traditional Landscape, Wright Circle.” East Carolinian. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38683
  • “George Cherry's birthday.” September 27, 1960. East Carolina Manuscript Collection # 0741-b25-fa-v25.a.75. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/5083
  • “Groundbreaking for Ficklen Stadium.” May 03, 1962. East Carolina Manuscript Collection # 0741-b27-fe-v27.e.4. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/5466
  • “Housing Project Begins: Contracts Awarded for $1,115,114 Construction.” East Carolinian. August 3, 1961. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38706
  • Howland, Ralph L. “More Testimony Offered in Pitt.” News and Observer. June 23, 1945. P. 3.
  • “Leo Jenkins and Fitzhugh Duncan.” 1960-1969. University Archives # UA55.01.8278. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/33084
  • “Messick and Pirates Club.” East Carolina Manuscript Collection # 0741-b21-fc-v21.c.40. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/4270
  • Mooneyham, Jeral L. “Students carry heavy load in school financed matters.” East Carolinian. February 19, 1970. Pp. 1, 11. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/39462
  • “Mr. F. D. Duncan Vice-President and Business Manager.” Buccaneer. 1967. P. 16. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15318
  • “Physical Facilities.” Buccaneer. 1967. Pp. 6-9. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15318
  • “Registration.” 1953. University Archives # UA55.01.4430. J. Y. Joyner Library. East Carolina University. Greenville, N. C. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/23407
  • “Student Self-Help Wages Here Rises to 50 cents an Hour.” East Carolinian. September 11, 1953. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38325
  • “Supply Stores Use Profits for Scholarships: Employs 90 Students.” East Carolinian. December 15, 1960. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38683
  • “Telephone Switchboard Here Serves Sixty More Offices.” East Carolinian. September 11, 1953. P. 1. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/38325
  • Wilson, Leonard. “Meadows Changed Story on Funds, Auditor Says.” News and Observer. February 7, 1945. Pp. 1, 2.
  • Wilson, Leonard. “Evidence Closes in Meadows Case.” News and Observer. March 10, 1945. Pp. 1, 3.

Related Materials

Image Source: Tecoan, 1936, p. 28. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15341

Image Source: Tecoan, 1944. P. 18.https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15349

Image Source: Buccaneer, 1967, p. 9.16 https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15318

Image Source: Buccaneer, 1967, p. 9. https://digital.lib.ecu.edu/15318

Image Source: UNC Yearbook, 1927, p. 83.

Citation Information

Title: Fitzhugh Durham Duncan

Author: John A. Tucker, PhD

Date of Publication: 02/28/2023

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