Historic Bible will be part of chancellor installation

When Lee Roberts is installed as the University’s 13th Chancellor on Oct. 11, a book from the Wilson Special Collections Library will play a starring role. Roberts will take his oath of office with a hand on the Durant Bible. He will be the fifth Carolina Chancellor to do so.

University Libraries spoke to University Archivist Nicholas Graham about the Durant Bible, its history and how it became part of Friday’s ceremonies.

What is the Durant Bible?

The Durant Bible is a 1599 printing of the Bible held by the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. It is an example of what is known as a “Geneva Bible,” which was the most widely available English-language Bible in the late-16th and early-17th centuries. It was printed in London and named for George Durant, who came to own it.

What do we know about George Durant?

Durant emigrated from England to the American colonies in the 1650s, most likely bringing this Bible with him on the trip. Originally settling in Virginia, Durant moved to the Albemarle region of North Carolina, around present-day Perquimans County, in the 1660s.

How did the Bible come to have such ceremonial importance?

Chancellor Paul Hardin was interested in using a historic Bible from Carolina’s library collections for his swearing-in ceremony in 1988. He selected the Durant Bible, most likely due to its age and its long history in North Carolina and the University. Subsequent chancellors have continued the tradition. The Durant Bible was used in swearing-in ceremonies for chancellors Michael Hooker (1995), James Moeser (2000), Carol Folt (2013) and Kevin Guskiewicz (2020), as well as by Gov. Pat McCrory (2013).

How did the Durant Bible come to Wilson Library?

The Bible was donated to the North Carolina Historical Society by members of the Durant family in the mid-19th century. The Historical Society was based at UNC and was the predecessor to the Wilson Special Collections Library.

Is the Durant Bible ever used for research?

The text of the Geneva Bible is now easy to find online, but what makes this copy unique is the family historical information it contains. Several generations of Durant family members recorded births and deaths in the Bible, making it an important source for genealogical information. Over the years, many Durant family members have visited Wilson Library to view the book.

Is there any interesting Durant Bible trivia you can share?

Prior to Chancellor Hooker’s installation, the Durant Bible underwent significant conservation treatment in the conservation lab here at Wilson Library. Jan Paris, who was then the Library’s chief conservator, spent 190 hours carefully cleaning and repairing the book so that that it would be available for the ceremony, and, even more importantly, ensuring that it would continue to be preserved and used in Wilson Library for centuries to come.

You can read more about the Durant Bible in a 2013 blog post from the North Carolina Collection at Wilson Library.