Duke, Paul A., Jr., 1995 April 04

This is a Living History interview with Paul duke, class of 1945, conducted by Marilyn Somers on April 4, 1995 at his home in Atlanta, Georgia. The subject is the interviewee’s life, and experiences at Georgia Tech.

Mr. Duke grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended Druid Hills High School, but then transferred to Boys High School in the tenth grade. Mr. Duke stayed at Boys High for an extra year because he wanted to take higher level math courses. He started at Georgia Tech in February of 1943, when World War II was just beginning. There were very few civilians on campus during this time. Mr. Duke joined the Chi Phi fraternity and served as president one year. He also joined the Naval ROTC. Mr. Duke earned his first degree in just two years; he went to school for twelve months out of the year. When he was younger, Mr. Duke and his family had season tickets to the Georgia Tech football games. He was offered scholarships from the University of Alabama and the University of Georgia, but chose to be a walk-on player for the Tech football team. Mr. Duke lived at home and commuted to Tech; he was not allowed to drive with his Navy uniform on. The local Navy officers were extra strict on their students at Tech because they got to stay home while others were fighting in the war. Students were given weekends off so they could socialize and go around the city. Mr. Duke’s wife attended Agnes Scott College. Dean Griffin and Coach Bobby Dodd were both big influences in Mr. Duke’s life. Coach Dodd was one of the most highly respected men on campus. Since Mr. Duke attended Tech during wartime, many of the staff had to be let go. This meant that the senior professors were the ones teaching the main classes. Mr. Duke remembers D.M. Smith and Dr. Vernon Crawford. Mr. Duke played football at Tech. He had the opportunity to play in the Oil Bowl, Orange Bowl, and Sugar Bowl. He was even selected to play on an All-Star college team against the Chicago Bears. He played professional football for a year on the New York Yankees, a football team at the time, so he could earn a living and support his new wife. Mr. Duke played for Tech when they beat the Navy football team, who was ranked number one in the country. In 1948, when Tech was playing Auburn University, a fight broke out among the players that spread to the fans. Mr. Duke was involved in the fight and broke his nose. Mr. Duke remembers the social life at Tech centering around the fraternity houses; there were dances, tea parties, and even weekend movies at the houses. Mr. Duke did not attend his formal graduation because he graduated in the fall, when there were no ceremonies held. According to him, “Tech makes a man out of a boy.” Mr. Duke is still friends with four other men he went to Tech with; they meet once a month. Mr. Duke started Technology Atlanta Incorporated, a company that helped to bring engineering firms to the southeast. Mr. Duke feels that Tech has such supportive alumni because they were challenged, yet had a good time while they were students.