Few joined the faculty of
Trinity College in
Durham, North Carolina in 1896 as a professor of
English. He became dean in 1902 and president in 1910. In 1924, Few presided over the transformation of Trinity College into Duke University, and was president of the renamed university until his death in 1940. During his 30 years as president, Few oversaw an expansion of the institution that is difficult to compare in modern terms. He worked with
James B. Duke to make
The Duke Endowment a reality and led the school's growth from a college of 363 students and 32 faculty in 1910 to a university consisting of nine schools, 3,716 students, and 476 faculty. Much of the growth occurred during the Great Depression, which brought hard financial times to most universities. He died of
coronary thrombosis in 1940. William Few was a member of
The Order of the Red Friars, a Duke University secret society. ==Death==