Washington Duke

American tobacco magnate

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June 25, 2026

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Washington Duke was an American tobacco magnate and philanthropist. After the American Civil War, he entered the tobacco business in North Carolina. In 1878, he and his sons, Benjamin and James Buchanan Duke, formed the firm W. Duke, Sons & Co., which was one of the first to use cigarette-manufacturing machines.12

James Buchanan Duke later established the American Tobacco Company in 1890, consolidating much of the industry. The Duke family also made significant contributions to Trinity College in Durham, which was renamed Duke University in his honor.13

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American Tobacco Company
…Carolina, when a Confederate veteran, Washington Duke, began trading in tobacco. In 1874 he and his sons, Benjamin N. Duke and James Buchanan Duke, built a factory and in 1878 formed the firm of W. Duke, Sons & Co., one of the first tobacco companies to introduce cigarette-manufacturing machines.
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…Carolina, when a Confederate veteran, Washington Duke, began trading in tobacco. In 1874 he and his sons, Benjamin N. Duke and James Buchanan Duke, built a factory and in 1878 formed the firm of W. Duke, Sons & Co., one of the first tobacco companies to introduce cigarette-manufacturing machines.
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Duke University
…was named for his father, Washington Duke, who had funded Trinity College and had persuaded its board of trustees to move the school to Durham. Total enrollment is approximately 14,000.
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…was named for his father, Washington Duke, who had funded Trinity College and had persuaded its board of trustees to move the school to Durham. Total enrollment is approximately 14,000.
Read More