Born in 1893 and educated at St. Louis’s Central High School, Charles Duncker entered WashU in 1910 on scholarship and quickly became deeply involved—serving as editor-in-chief of the Hatchet yearbook, Student Life, and earning election to Phi Beta Kappa, Beta Theta Pi, and Sigma Xi; he graduated in 1914. With America’s entry into World War I, he enrolled in officer training in April 1917 and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant, later promoted to Captain of the 340ᵗʰ Field Artillery. Unfortunately, he was killed in action on October 17, 1917, at Thiaucourt‑Régniéville, France. His parents later donated Duncker Hall (opened 1924) to WashU in his honor—a building that became a cornerstone of the Business School and today houses the English Department
