Updated April 2009: Miss Duke's Gardens in central NJ were closed to the public in May 2008. Many people hoped that with the structures still intact and the statuary still present, future Trustees would remedy the closure and restore the cultural legacy of Doris Duke. Over 5,230 protesters wrote personal letters to the Trustees or signed petitions asking them not to destroy the the Gardens. Over 600 people wrote to Governor Corzine asking him to intercede for New Jersey's heritage. The Trustees replied: "[our] decisions about the future opportunities for Duke Farms have been properly vetted and are totally within the discretion of the boards under New York state law, as approved by the New York Attorney General." "And we will probably be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed" NYT editorial following destruction of Penn Station, 1963 The Trustees who destroyed* Duke Gardens President of Board Joan E. Spero
Director, IBM DDCF Compensation: $329,902 (Half-time;2005)  Chair of Board Nannerl Keohane (Nan "Koh-han") Director, IBM Former President Duke University Compensation: $126,078 (60 hours per year;2005) Vice Chair at time of closure John Mack Mr Mack is now listed as a Trustee Emeritus CEO, Morgan Stanley Compensation: $126,078 (60 hours per year; 2005)  Vice Chair Dr Anthony Fauci Trustee at time of closure Director, NIAID Served without compensation (2005)  Trustee John H.T. Wilson Advisory Director, Morgan Stanley Served without compensation (2005)  Trustee Peter Nadosy Advisory Director, Morgan Stanley Compensation: ? New since 2005  Trustee John E. Zucotti Chair, Brookfield Properties Compensation: ? New since 2005  Trustee Dr Harry B. Demopolous CEO, Thyogen Pharmaceuticals Compensation: $126,078 (60 hours per year; 2005)  Trustee James F. Gill Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsen & Berman LLP Compensation: $126,078 (76 hours per year; 2005)  Trustee Dr W. H. Schlesinger Professor, Duke University Compensation: ? New since 2005  Trustee Anne Hawley Director, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Compensation: $126,078 (60 hours per year; 2005) *DESTROY: transitive verb: to ruin the structure, organic existence, or condition of, to put out of existence (Merriam Webster) | Doris Duke personally designed and created these Gardens to honor the father she adored, who died when she was twelve. Duke Gardens are equal in size to the Haupt Conservatory, the centerpiece of the New York Botanical Gardens. They were opened to the public in 1964, and were a major tourist destination despite no advertising. Many people have put their pictures of Duke Gardens in flickr - you can see how beautiful and beloved the Gardens were just by following the link.           |
Some history: 11 Trustees and 11 Gardens |
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