in 1923, baldwin took the job as acting dean of women at trinity college in durham, north carolina (later to become part of duke university). seeing little opportunity for a woman in the 1920s to become a full professor at the university of chicago, baldwin remained at trinity to become dean of women and assistant professor of history. while at trinity, baldwin completed her doctoral thesis (on the topic of new england clergy and the american revolution) in time to receive her phd from the university of chicago in 1926.