Charles W. Duncan, Jr. business papers

Charles William Duncan, Jr. was born September 9, 1926, in Houston, Texas. He attended Rice Institute, where he majored in chemical engineering, served as an aviation cadet of the U. S. Army Air Force during 1944-46, and graduated with his B.S. degree in 1947. Following a stint as a roustabout and chemical engineer for Humble Oil and Refining Company (now Exxon); he joined his family's coffee importing and roasting firm, Duncan Foods Company, which produced Maryland Club Coffee. He married Anne Smith in 1957 and they have two children. Duncan Foods merged with Coca-Cola in 1964 and he worked as head of their European operations. He was elected president of the company in 1971. President Jimmy Carter, whom Mr. Duncan had gotten to know in Atlanta, brought him to the national capital to serve as Deputy Secretary of the U. S. Department of Defense from January 1977 to August 1979, at which point Mr. Duncan joined the president's cabinet as Secretary of the Department of Energy from August 1979 to January 1981, when President Carter left office.

After his government appointment ended, Duncan returned to Houston and established Gulf Partners (now Duncan Interests), an investment firm. Charles Duncan served many years as a Rice University trustee, including chairing the Rice Board of Trustees from 1982 to 1996, when he became chairman emeritus. Rice University’s 11th residential college was named in honor of Charles and Anne Duncan as is Duncan Hall. He continues to participate in professional activities in Duncan Interests and philanthropic activities.