Duke University Press is turning 100 in 2026! We invite you to engage with us throughout the year, as we reflect on and celebrate the first 100 years of the Press and look ahead to our second century, rooted in our commitment to publishing bold, progressive thinkers who believe in the power of ideas to create positive change. A leading voice in the most important conversations of our time, Duke University Press has long brought cutting-edge humanities and social science scholarship to a global audience.
Our Story
Originally founded in 1921 as Trinity College Press, we became Duke University Press in 1926. The Press rose to global prominence together with Duke University. In the early 1980s, Duke was a sleepy regional Methodist school, and the Press had not yet found its true calling. The University made a commitment to bring in some of the nation’s most talented critical thinkers such as Fredric Jameson, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Barbara Herrnstein Smith, Janice Radway, and Stanley Fish who developed an interdisciplinary approach to scholarly inquiry. This renaissance in the humanities fueled the rise of the Press and the University—with an interdisciplinary approach that catalyzed the entire campus into becoming a global leader in research and scholarship.
Praise for Duke University Press
“Duke University Press, its people and its books, have been a treasure for me for decades. DUP has published work by so many scholars essential to how I think.”—Donna Haraway, Professor Emerita in The History of Consciousness and Feminist Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz
“Duke University Press sets the international English-language bar for publishing innovative critical theory, Black feminist thinking, music and cultural criticism, media theory, and new forms and formats within university publishing.”—Wesley Hogan, Research Professor, John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute, Duke University
“There is no press that has been more important to my field—gender and sexuality studies—than Duke University Press. My shelves are filled with DUP books which have sparked new directions of scholarly thought…and examined the most pressing issues of our times.”—Jennifer Nash, Jean Fox O'Barr Women's Studies Distinguished Professor, Duke University
“I cannot imagine my scholarly life without Duke University Press. As I look at my bookshelves, I see title after cherished title with “Duke” on the spine. These are the books that push me—to think more creatively, more broadly, more urgently across the silos of disciplines that, too often . . . confine our intellectual life.”—Cathy Davidson, 2025 Recipient of the McGraw Prize in Higher Education
“I cannot imagine the life of the kind of mind we need without the visionary leadership of Duke University Press.”—Elizabeth Povinelli, Franz Boas Professor of Anthropology and Gender Studies, Columbia University
“Duke University Press’s innovative publications have been crucial in opening new areas of inquiry within disciplines and at their interstices.”—Priscilla Wald, R. Florence Brinkley Distinguished Professor of English, Duke University
“Duke University Press has created an unparalleled compendium of the best critical thinking across the humanities and social science disciplines and interdisciplinary fields, contributing like no other press of his size to define what counts as critical thought and making books that matter.”—Arturo Escobar, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
“Duke University Press represents the very best of the humanities at the university. It not only publishes works that are rigorously reviewed, edited, and debated, but also anticipates and charts new directions in knowledge production.”—Leo Ching, Dean of the Arts and Humanities, Duke University
DUP 100 Events
- Publishing Fundamentals, the first of two publishing events jointly hosted with Duke's Franklin Humanities Institute (in person and livestreamed) – April 30, 2026
- Intellectual Publics a conversation on the Press and publishing with Senior Executive Editor Ken Wissoker (virtual) – Spring/Summer 2026
- Centennial Exhibit in Duke’s Rubenstein Library, Duke University Press: A Field-Defining Press Turns 100! launch and reception – exhibit runs from August 19, 2026 - February 7, 2027
- Left of Black podcast with Mark Anthony Neal – Fall 2026
- Second publishing event with the Franklin Humanities Institute – Fall 2026
Stay tuned for additional events!
Support
We rely on the support of donors and friends of the Press to make our work possible!
$100 for 100 Years! Please join us in our Centennial year by making a tax-deductible contribution to celebrate 100 years of Duke University Press! For a gift of $100 or more, we will send you a limited-edition DUP Centennial tote bag*—make your gift here.
Want to support the Press but don’t wish to receive a tote? Make your gift here! A gift of any amount makes a difference.
If you want to explore additional opportunities to advance the work and impact of Duke University Press, visit our Support page or reach out to Associate Director of Development, Andrea Wood.
*Fair market value of premium item is $4.00.
Centennial Sponsors
We would like to thank our Centennial sponsors for their partnership and support!
President’s Circle
Ingram Content Group
Advocate’s Circle
JSTOR
Sheridan a CJK Group Company
Silverchair
Theodore D. Segal and Joyce Wasserstein
Additional Sponsors
AdvantageCS
Firebrand Technologies
Jack Farrell & Associates
Mare Nostrum Group
Paradigm Publishing Services
If you are interested in exploring Centennial sponsorship opportunities, please contact Associate Director of Development, Andrea Wood.