Sarah Graham Kenan (February 17, 1876 – March 16, 1968) was an American heiress and philanthropist. She inherited a third of her sister's share of the

Standard Oil Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co- ...

fortune in 1917 and established the Sarah Graham Kenan Foundation. Through her foundation, Kenan contributed financially to various institutions including the

Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina The Episcopal Diocese of East Carolina is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States that covers most of eastern North Carolina. The diocese was formed from the existing Diocese of North Carolina on October 9, 1883, by action of th ...

, the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sys ...

, Duke University, Saint Mary's School, and the Duplin County Board of Education. Her home, located in the

Market Street Mansion District Market Street Mansion District is a national Historic district (United States), historic district located at Wilmington, North Carolina, Wilmington, New Hanover County, North Carolina. The district encompasses four large impressive early-20th cen ...

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is t ...

, now serves as the official residence of the chancellor of the

University of North Carolina at Wilmington The University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW or UNC Wilmington) is a public research university in Wilmington, North Carolina. It is part of the University of North Carolina System and enrolls 17,499 undergraduate and graduate students ea ...

. In 1930, through an endowment she made, the

Southern Historical Collection The Southern Historical Collection is a repository of distinct archival collections at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill which document the culture and history of the American South. These collections are made up of unique primary mat ...

was established at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which r ...

Early life and family

Sarah Graham Kenan was born on February 17, 1876 in

to William Rand Kenan, Sr. and Mary Hargrave Kenan. Her father, a

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

veteran, businessman,

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White su ...

, and trustee of the

, participated in the

Wilmington insurrection of 1898 The Wilmington insurrection of 1898, also known as the Wilmington massacre of 1898 or the Wilmington coup of 1898, was a coup d'état and massacre carried out by white supremacists in Wilmington, North Carolina, United States, on Thursday, Nove ...

. She was a sister of

William R. Kenan Jr. William Rand Kenan Jr. (April 30, 1872 – July 28, 1965) was an American chemist, engineer, manufacturer, dairy farmer, and philanthropist. Early life William Rand Kenan Jr. was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, on April 30, 1872., son of Willi ...

and a sister-in-law of

Henry Flagler Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American industrialist and a founder of Standard Oil, which was first based in Ohio. He was also a key figure in the development of the Atlantic coast of Florida and founder ...

, who co-founded the

Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company, Inc., was an American oil production, transportation, refining, and marketing company that operated from 1870 to 1911. At its height, Standard Oil was the largest petroleum company in the world, and its success made its co- ...

with John D. Rockefeller. Kenan was a descendant of the politician and

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

veteran James Kenan. Her grandfather was the Confederate politician Owen Rand Kenan. Her family, members of North Carolina's

planter class The planter class, known alternatively in the United States as the Southern aristocracy, was a racial and socioeconomic caste of pan-American society that dominated 17th and 18th century agricultural markets. The Atlantic slave trade permitted ...

, owned Liberty Hall Plantation in Kenansville, a town named after her family. Kenan was educated in New York and in Raleigh, graduating from St. Mary's Junior College in 1893.

Philanthropy

After her brother-in-law's death, his oil fortune was inherited by her sister, Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham. At her death in 1917, the fortune was divided equally between Kenan, her brother William, and her sister, Jessie Kenan Wise. She established the Sarah Graham Kenan Foundation and, throughout her life, made charitable contributions exceeded $12 million. She was a patron of the Catherine Kennedy Home in Wilmington, the Duplin County Board of Education, New Hanover County private schools, the

, St. James Episcopal Church,

Duke University School of Medicine The Duke University School of Medicine, commonly known as Duke Med, is the medical school of Duke University. It is located in the Collegiate Gothic-style West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The School of Medicine, along w ...

, the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science, Saint Mary's School, Durham Academy, Thalian Hall, the Kenansville Board of Education, and the

. In 1930, she helped the

start the

in their new library, which included letters, diaries, and plantation records. She provided a $25,000 endowment for the project. In 1965, she established the Graham Kenan Professorship at the

University of North Carolina School of Law The University of North Carolina School of Law is the law school of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Established in 1845, Carolina Law is among the oldest law schools in the United States and is the oldest law school in North Carol ...

in honor of her husband. In 1968 she created additional professorships at the

UNC School of Medicine The University of North Carolina School of Medicine is a professional school within the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It offers a Doctor of Medicine degree along with combined Doctor of Medicine / Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor o ...

and

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School UNC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to: Education * University of Northern California (disambiguation), which may refer to: ** University of Northern California (Santa Rosa), in Petaluma, California, United States ** University of Nor ...

Personal life

Kenan married her cousin, the attorney Graham Kenan, on December 19, 1912. Her husband died on February 5, 1920 in New York City. They had no children. After her husband's death, Kenan purchased a brick colonial house on Market Street in Wilmington. She travelled extensively, spending time in Palm Beach and

St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...

and

Lake Placid, New York Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,303. The village of Lake Placid is near the center of the town of North Elba, southwest of Plattsbur ...

Death and legacy

Kenan died on March 16, 1968 in Wilmington. A funeral service was held at St. James Episcopal Church on March 20, 1968. She was buried next to her parents in Oakdale Cemetery. After her death, her nephew, James Graham Kenan, gifted her home on Market Street to the state for the board of trustees of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The house is now used as the official residence of the university's chancellor. The Sarah Graham Kenan Auditorium on the university's campus is named after her. The library at Saint Mary's School is named in her honor. The

University of North Carolina School of the Arts The University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is an arts school in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It grants high school, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. Founded in 1963 as the North Carolina School of the Arts by then-Governo ...

named a scholarship after her.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenan, Sarah Graham 1876 births 1968 deaths American women philanthropists Burials at Oakdale Cemetery Episcopalians from North Carolina

Sarah Sarah (born Sarai) is a biblical matriarch and prophetess, a major figure in Abrahamic religions. While different Abrahamic faiths portray her differently, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all depict her character similarly, as that of a pio ...

People from Wilmington, North Carolina Philanthropists from North Carolina St. Mary's School (North Carolina) alumni