Since smoking is bad, should Duke University change its name?

[taterguy]

I don't think it's good for children, to see a bunch of apparently healthy young men running up and down a basketball court with the name of a tobacco baron emblazoned across their chests.

What do you think?

[Bluebear]

1. Tell the children the school was named for a bloodhound. End.

[taterguy]

16. Is it ever ok to lie to children?

[supernova]

2. It's named for the DUKES of Hazzard

Every NC-born child knows that.

[taterguy]

7. Why would a school in NC be named for a TV show that took place in Georgia?

[conservdem]

3. No.

[dysfunctional press]

4. most people don't make the correlation, so no.

the vast majority of the country wouldn't recognize 'duke' as being associated with tobacco.

[taterguy]

6. Do you have a source for that 99% figure or did you just make it up?

[dysfunctional press]

10. fixed.

[NNN0LHI]

5. It should be changed to Bogart

[ChicagoSuz219]

8. It's for John Wayne... ;-) n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Was Duke named after a tobacco guy?

Who knew?

[taterguy]

11. Anyone that knows anything about the school

I guess that excludes you

[supernova]

18. William & Mary was funded by pirates

Should they change their name?

[taterguy]

20. Which pirate was named Mary?

[Iggo]

12. Yes. It absolutely should. (n/t)

[taterguy]

13. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks so

[DURHAM D]

14. I don't know - Harvard was funded by a lottery.

In fact the first permanent English settlement in this country was funded by a lottery.

So, how do you feel about gambling?

[taterguy]

15. Gambling never killed anyone

[cali]

22. you're kidding right?

[warm regards]

17. ...proving that some people have way too much time on their hands...

[taterguy]

19. Thanks for taking your valuable time to reply

Pot, meet kettle

[cali]

21. I think that's a stupid suggestion.

[Warren Stupidity]

23. Doris Duke made up for the sins of the family by spending that

fortune on good things and good deeds her entire life. Consider Duke her memorial.

[boomerbust]

24. No

The only thing I was thinking about on 12-2-09, the day the wisconsin Badgers pummeled the Blue Devils was "Look out for Bucky" all you ACC bad boys. Oh, and did I mention they also pummeled Maryland.:smoke:

[taterguy]

26. You only thought about one thing on 12/2 2009?

Weird.

I'm sure I thought about a lot of things that day.

[boomerbust]

28. Weird?

I think its a little weird to think about smoking when you see the name Duke. But hey to each his own.

[hack89]

25. Since slavery is bad, should Brown University change its name? nt

[saltpoint]

27. It might be a tough sell to the Board of Regents. Left to me, I'd like

the name changed to Elizabeth Taylor University.

Who's with me?

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

29. Wow....just wow...

I'm speechless. With all the crap going on in the world and this is what you come up with???? Originally, it was Trinity College and then James Buchanan Duke, the famous 'tobacco' guy basically bought Trinity and named the new school after him. That was several decades ago. Duke was also affiliated with the Methodist Church until a few decades ago (no longer so). Now, their 'tobacco' affiliation is long done and gone and I doubt few people even know the school's history to even remember James Buchanan Duke and who he was, even if they pass his statue by going to Duke Chapel on campus.

And what about the city of Winston Salem? I mean, that's a double whammy right there... Winston AND Salem.

[taterguy]

32. There is no city of Winston Salem

There's a hyphen in the name, damnit.

[Paladin]

39. Got Too Much Time On Your Hands These Days? (n/t)

[taterguy]

44. Do you?

[DURHAM D]

33. They are still affiliated with the Methodist church.

That is why they don't pay property taxes on anything - including the golf course and their hotel. Thus property taxes in Durham are high because Duke owns much of the town and does not pay their share.

[Paladin]

30. I Guess Winston-Salem NC Is Screwed, As Well, Right? (n/t)

[taterguy]

31. The cigarettes were named after the town, so no

[saltpoint]

34. Or, what the hell, they could name it for the plaintiff in the

Duke LaCrosse Team rape case.

How 'bout it, Board of Regents?

[pipi_k]

35. Damn...I always thought it was named for a couple of

cartoon characters...

Donald Duke and Daffy Duke

[saltpoint]

36. Let's keep it simple. Let's rename it DEVILS UNIVERSITY, after the

sports teams' nickname, Blue Devils.

I think DEVILS UNIVERSITY has just the right ring to it.

And why not ask Rev. Franklin Graham, himself a resident of the great state of Nawth Caruhlylnuh, to deliver the invocation at the ceremony at which the name change is announced to alumni and gathered observers?

Chance of a life time.

[whistler162]

37. This coming from someone living in Camel City NC

[taterguy]

41. I am not a role model

Kids don't watch me on TV and want to emulate me.

[whistler162]

43. Given that the founder of Duke has been dead for 100+

years neither is he!

Which is your whine about the name of Duke!

Need to change the name of Vanderbuilt University, Carnegie-Mellon University, Carnegie Hall, etc. etc. etc.

[taterguy]

48. The school was founded by a group of Methodists and Quakers, not the Duke family

If you don't know what the hell you're talking about, you really shouldn't post.

ps: There's no U in Vanderbilt.

[whistler162]

50. I agree... sorry to lose your posts..... good bye!!!!

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/

[taterguy]

51. I'm not going anywhere. What's with the goodbye?

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

38. I hope you're just kidding....

Otherwise, you don't wnat to know what I think...

[Hannah Bell]

40. i think you should think about something that matters.

[dysfunctional press]

42. why would he start now...?

:shrug:

[taterguy]

45. Good one

NOT!

[melm00se]

46. while we are at it

change the name of the Rhodes Scholarship?
the Nobel Prize?
to name a few.

[LostInAnomie]

47. Private university. They can call it whatever they want.

[taterguy]

49. Yes they can

But should they?