Robert H. Jones Oral History Interviews, 1994-2007

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Summary

Creator:
Jones, Robert H.
Abstract:
Dr. Robert (Bob) H. Jones. MD (1940-2020). completed his surgical residency at Duke in 1975. Afterwards, he joined the faculty of the Department of Surgery where he remained until he retired in 2014 as the Mary and Deryl Hart Distinguished Professor of Surgery. During his career, Jones was a prolific cardiothoracic surgeon performing thousands of Coronary Artery Bypass operations, a clinical investigator, and a medical educator. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted at separate times. Interviews were conducted on July 14, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford and April 26, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry. In the 1994 interview, which is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project, Jones discusses his career, research interests, working for and with Sabiston, the origins and development of his lab, as well we the current and future status of his field. In the 2007 interview, which is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project, Jones reflects on his work as a cardiovascular surgeon, his research, experiences with Sabiston, and the Duke Cardiovascular Databank.
Extent:
2 Interviews (2 transcripts, 2 audiocassette tapes, 2 CDs)
Language:
English
Collection ID:
OH.JONESR

Background

Scope and content:

Includes 2 oral history interviews with Dr. Robert H. Jones conducted on July 14, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford and April 26, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry. Both interviews are included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

In the July 14, 1994 interview, Jones discusses his career, research interests, working for and with Dr. David C. Sabiston, the origins and development of his lab, as well we the current and future status of his field.

In the April 26, 2007 interview, Jones reflects on his work as a cardiovascular surgeon, his research, experiences with Dr. David C. Sabiston, and the Duke Cardiovascular Databank.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Robert (Bob) H. Jones, MD was born on December 9, 1940 in Kansas City, Kansas. Jones graduated from Harding College in Searcy, Arkansas in 1961, and he received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1965. That same year, Jones joined Duke University Medical Center as one of the first surgical residents taught by Dr. David C. Sabiston, Jr. His residency was interrupted by military service when he served as Captain in the Air Force. In 1975, after he completed his residency, he joined the Duke Department of Surgery as an Assistant Professor. Jones worked at Duke as a cardiothoracic surgeon until he retired in 2014 as the Mary and Deryl Hart Distinguished Professor of Surgery. During his career, Jones was a prolific cardiothoracic surgeon performing thousands of Coronary Artery Bypass operations, a clinical investigator, and a medical educator.
In 1989, Jones co-founded the Heart Center as the first service line within Duke Hospital and promoted joint research and joint clinical practice. This directly led to the concept of Heart Team decision making that is now included in all national and international guidelines for the treatment of coronary disease.

As a Howard Hughes Investigator, Jones made a number of seminal contributions in the field of lung scanning and nuclear cardiology imaging. His main area of interest was in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease, where he was instrumental in the employment of patient data from the Duke Cardiovascular Disease Databank and the Duke Cardiac Research Institute to develop evidence that guided surgeons and cardiologists through decades of change. From this platform, he obtained NIH funding for the STICH trial, which compared medical therapy to surgical therapy for coronary artery disease. This trial ultimately enrolled over 2,000 patients worldwide, followed them for a decade, and published outcomes in more than 50 manuscripts to date.

During his career, Jones published more than 250 manuscripts that provided the evidence base used in everyday practice. His research also focused on harmonizing the roles of surgeons and cardiologists to strengthen collaboration between the specialties.

Jones was married to his wife, Catherine Ann Peters Jones, for 56 years. Together they raised 3 children. Jones enjoyed traveling, singing, architecture, family time at the beach, and water gardens. Jones died on January 26, 2022 in Durham, North Carolina, of post-COVID pneumonia and dementia.

Acquisition information:
Accession A1994.013 (transferred by James Gifford, July 1994), Accession A2007.0121 (transferred by Jessica Roseberry, April 2007)
Processing information:

Processed by Archives staff: July 1994; updated by Archives staff: April 2007; updated by Lucy Waldrop: September 2022

Arrangement:
Organized into the following series: Interview, July 14, 1994; Interview, April 26, 2007.
Rules or conventions:
DACS

Contents

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Restrictions:

None.

Terms of access:

Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Robert H. Jones Oral History Interviews, Duke University Medical Center Archives.