Mary Semans

Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans (February 21, 1920 – January 25, 2012) was an American heiress, activist, politician, and philanthropist. She was the granddaughter of Benjamin N. Duke and the great-granddaughter of Washington Duke, both tobacco and energy tycoons who helped start Duke University. Semans supported the arts and humanities through various philanthropic entities. She was a dedicated civil rights activist, and ran for the Durham City Council on a platform dedicated to increasing voter registration among African-Americans. She was the first woman to serve as mayor pro tempore of Durham.

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