Edward S. Orgain Papers, 1930-1995
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Summary
- Creator:
- Orgain, Edward S.
- Abstract:
- Contains the professional papers of Edward S. Orgain (1906-1995), professor of medicine and founding director of the Cardiovascular Diseases Service at Duke University. Types of materials include correspondence, contracts, minutes, notes, agendas, newsletters, short writings, reprints, brochures, and photographs. Major subjects include Edward S. Orgain, the Duke University Private Diagnostic Clinic, and heart diseases. Materials range in date from 1938 to 1995.
- Extent:
- 1.5 linear feet (1 carton)
- Language:
- English
- Collection ID:
- MC.0030
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Contains the professional papers of Edward S. Orgain, professor of medicine and founding director of the Cardiovascular Diseases Service at Duke University. Types of materials include correspondence, contracts, minutes, notes, agendas, newsletters, short writings, reprints, brochures, and photographs. Major subjects include Edward S. Orgain, the Duke University Private Diagnostic Clinic, and heart diseases. Materials range in date from 1938 to 1995.
- Biographical / historical:
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Edward Stewart Orgain was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1906 to Sally B. Yancey and John B. Orgain. He earned his MD at the University of Virginia in 1930, completed his residency in medicine at the University Hospitals of Cleveland, where he was appointed chief resident in medicine. He received his cardiovascular training from Paul Dudley White at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. During his training with Dr. White, Orgain's primary interest was to learn the use of the stethoscope. Based on observations made during this fellowship, Orgain wrote one of the first papers on atrial fibrillation and flutter that demonstrated a good prognosis on patients with no other signs of cardiac disease.
Orgain joined Duke University in 1934 as an instructor in medicine and physiology, under the direction of Frederic M. Hanes, chair of the newly founded Duke University Department of Medicine. Orgain served as a clinician with a strong background in cardiovascular diseases. In addition to his clinical duties, Orgain taught of physiology. Together with Mary Poston of the Department of Microbiology, Orgain published extensively on the diagnosis and treatment of endocarditis in the pre-penicillin era.
In 1945 Orgain became the founding director of the Cardiovascular Diseases Service. From this outpatient clinic, the Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship started in 1946 with two fellows. During his career, Orgain trained sixty-five fellows, five of whom later became professors of medicine. Orgain established a diagnostic unit, located in the Baker House, now part of Duke South Hospital, which included laboratory and clinical services. This unit was the forerunner of the Duke Cardiovascular Diagnostic Unit. The laboratory grew to include facilities for phonocardiography, esophageal and intracardiac electrocardiography, intracardiac devices to detect left-to-right shunts, cardioversion, and fluoroscopy.
The Division of Cardiology was established in 1967 under the Department of Medicine. Orgain served on various committees charged with analyzing aspects of the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC) and making recommendations for its future. During the 1970s, Orgain led negotiations for remunerations reform for physicians working at the PDC. The reform effort aimed to create a different retirement income plan and to help physicians save on Federate and State taxes.
Orgain held positions in a variety of professional organizations, including North Carolina Heart Association, American Heart Association, and the American College of Cardiology. He was the editor of Modern Concepts of Cardiovascular Diseases and served for six years on the Board of Examiners for certification of specialists in cardiovascular disease. Upon his formal retirement in 1975, the Board of Trustees named him professor emeritus of medicine and consultant to Duke University Medical Center. In that capacity, he continued teaching and seeing patients. In addition to the honor of the Edwin S. Orgain Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Disease, Orgain received the Distinguished Service Award of the American Heart Association (1972), the Distinguished Teacher Award from Duke (1975), and the Gifted Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiology (1976). The Orgain Symposia, honoring milestones in cardiovascular research and providing a forum for cardiovascular students and professionals, began in 1983. Researchers and leaders from all over the nation came to Duke University to discuss issues in cardiology.
In 1940, Orgain married Anna F. Lewis (1913-1974). Orgain died in 1995. - Acquisition information:
- Source unknown: (acquired, circa 1995)
- Processing information:
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Processed by Archives staff and Emily Glenn: July 2003; encoded by Emily Glenn: March 2004
- Arrangement:
- Organized into the following series: Cardiovascular Diseases Service and Division of, 1946-1989; Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC) and Internal Medicine, 1949-1971; Conference and Speeches, 1938-1995; Correspondence, 1956-1995; Research and Writings, circa 1947-1981; Other Materials, 1930-1985.
- Physical location:
- For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Subjects
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- Personal Name(s):
- Orgain, Edward S.
- Corporate Name(s):
- Duke University. Medical Center
Duke University. School of Medicine - Topical Term(s):
- Heart Diseases.
Education, Medical.
Faculty.
Cardiology.
Contents
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- Restrictions:
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This collection may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals or IRB approval may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which Duke University assumes no responsibility.
- Terms of access:
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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:
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[Identification of item], Edward S. Orgain Papers, Duke University Medical Center Archives.