T H E I N D E P E N D E N T D A I LY AT D U K E U N I V E R S I T Y
The Chronicle
THURSDAY, MAY 26, 2011
WWW.DUKECHRONICLE.COM
University investigates Senate report
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTH YEAR, SUMMER ISSUE 2
‘A Long and Happy Life’ Family, friends gather to celebrate Reynolds Price by Julia Love THE CHRONICLE
by Nicole Kyle THE CHRONICLE
Duke medical researcher Dr. Victor Tapson has become the focus of a U.S. Senate Finance Committee report issued Wednesday, which is now under investigation by the University. Tapson, a thrombosis expert and faculty member in the Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine division of Duke Medicine, was named in the committee report as receiving $260,604 for consultant services from the drug compaDr.Victor Tapson ny Sanofi-Aventis. Tapson recommended that the Federal Drug Administration delay approval of the generic version of Sanofi’s fast-acting blood thinner Lovenox. The report suggests that Tapson did not specify the nature of his financial connection to the drug company to the FDA at the time of his recommendation. “An investigation of the... report related to Dr. Tapson has been initiated by the Duke University School of Medicine Conflict of Interest committee,” wrote Dr. Ross McKinney, committee chair and director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, in a statement to The Chronicle Wednesday. “At the conclusion of this process, we will be providing a report of our findings to
The voice of Reynolds Price reverberated in the Chapel once more last week. Nearly 400 friends, family, colleagues and students traveled from as far as London and San Francisco to celebrate the life of the late professor last Thursday in an event coined “A Long and Happy Life,” echoing the title of his first novel. In addition to tributes from friends, the celebration showcased Price’s art across genres with snippets of drama, poetry and song. In a set of instructions he wrote more than two decades ago, Price, Trinity ’55, insisted that the ceremony last no more than 45 minutes— he refused to bore an audience. The celebration opened with an audio recording of Price reading a Ben Jonson poem, which ends, “In small proportions we just beauties see. And in short measures life may perfect be.” Price, who passed away in January at 77, was a preeminent Southern author whose books sold millions of copies. He arrived at Duke as a teenager and stayed a lifetime, save for “a brief truancy” at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, President Richard Brodhead remarked in his address. “We’re not ready to send you onward to the great beyond, Reynolds, and yet we know we must,” said former Duke president Nannerl Keohane. “We do so confident that your love and friendship, wit and humor, passion and intelligence will always SEE PRICE ON PAGE 6 TED KNUDSEN/THE CHRONICLE
SEE TAPSON ON PAGE 6
New fund to funnel athletics revenue to Duke Libraries by Chris Cusack THE CHRONICLE
Blue Devil fans will support more than just the athletes starting this Fall. When Deborah Jakubs, University librarian and vice provost for library affairs, sat down next to Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White at a dean’s meeting in February, she suggested the idea of a partnership between athletics and the libraries. Their conversation was cut short, though, Jakubs said, and during the next few weeks, she forgot the discussion had taken place. White, however, did not. Less than a month after their initial exchange, athletic officials called Jakubs
and proposed creating a fund for Duke University Libraries based on proceeds from ticket sales. According to a Duke news release May 11, Duke Athletics will donate $1 to the libraries from every regular season home ticket sold, establishing the Duke Athletics Library Fund this Fall. Non-students are currently charged admission for eight Blue Devil sports—baseball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and women’s soccer. Each ticket stub will now indicate that $1 has been added to the ticket price and will be invested in the fund. Proceeds from the SEE LIBRARIES ON PAGE 12
CHRONICLE GRAPHIC BY TED KNUDSEN
THE FINAL FRONTIER Men’s lacrosse team powers past Notre Dame, looks to defend title in Baltimore, PAGE 7 Women’s lacrosse team downs Florida, earns sixth trip to Final Four in program history, PAGE 7