Duke University is a prestigious, highly selective private university in Durham, North Carolina. It is named for the Duke family, which made its money in the tobacco and energy businesses (see American Tobacco Company and Duke Power). Although it is a young university, founded in 1924, Duke is recognized internationally as one of the leading institutions of higher education in the United States.
Duke University also has several graduate and professional schools: the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, the Fuqua School of Business, the School of Law, the Divinity School, and the Graduate School.
Duke University's Talent Identification Program, or TIP, is for seventh- through tenth-graders who have scored well on the SAT or ACT. They can go to camps at Duke University East or West campus and take a variety of classes. The TIP program also includes a summer program for rising seniors who can attend classes in Duke's "Pre-college" summer session.
Duke Men's basketball is one of the most well known college athletics programs in the country. ESPN analyst Joe Lunardi has called the Blue Devils from the early 1980s to today a dynasty. The team's achievements under coach Mike Krzyzewski include making the Final Four five years in a row from 1988 to 1992, winning the ACC Tournament an unprecedented five years in a row from 1999 to 2003, having six players named Naismith College Player of the Year in under 20 years, and becoming the only team to win three national championships since the NCAA Tournament field was expanded to 64 teams.
As of April 1, 2004, Duke has a total of six national championships; three in Men's Basketball (1991, 1992, 2001), two in Women's Golf (1999, 2002), and one in Men's Soccer (1986).
The Duke Chapel stands at the heart of West Campus, and is at the center of religion at Duke. Constructed in 1930 through 1935, the Chapel seats about 1,600 people. With its 210-foot tower, it is one of the tallest buildings in Durham County, North Carolina.
