Search

This oral history interview was conducted with James B. Wyngaarden on April 9, 1982 by James Gifford.
Duration: 1:10:00
Wyngaarden discusses his background; education; war experience; research; internship at Massachusetts General Hospital; work with Walter Bauer on arthritis patients; steroids; potential draft for Korean War; Jim Shannon; National Institutes of Health; Public Health Service; work in Public Health Institute of the City of New York; purines; interest in chemistry; gout; research life at the NIH; eventual dissatisfaction with research life; looking for other employment; excitement at Duke University; Phil Handler; Eugene Stead; declining to work at VA hospital at Duke; arthritis training grant; receiving offer of junior position at Duke; arthritis research; increase in NIH budget, especially under William Sebrell; Department of Medicine taking advantage of NIH funding; financial support of department from PDC; members of department; growth of department; career investigator for NIH; joint appointment in Department of Biochemistry; medical research training program; funding for medical research training program; end of rounding duties in running medical research training program; year's work in the Sorbonne; molecular biochemical genetics; heavy leadership duties at Duke; retirement of Eugene Stead; chairmanship at University of Pennsylvania; meeting with Dr. William Anlyan and Dr. David Sabiston to recruit Wyngaarden back to Duke; atmosphere at University of Pennsylvania versus atmosphere at Duke; chairmanship at Duke; purine metabolism; philosophy and character of Eugene Stead; contrast between research in 1950s and current; Department of Medicine under Eugene Stead; Dan Tosteson; beginnings of research training program; initial faculty of research training program; MD/PhD programs funded by NIH; end of research training program; impact of research training program; new curriculum; and the advantages and disadvantages of curriculum. Includes 1 master audiocassette tape, 1 use audiocassette tape, and 1 transcript.

This oral history interview was conducted with James B. Wyngaarden on March 21, 2005 by Jessica Roseberry.
Duration: 00:55.00
Wyngaarden discusses being recruited for the directorship of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); looking back at his chairmanship of the Department of Medicine; important aspects of the department under his chairmanship; Dr. Eugene Stead; the Howard Hughes Medical Institute; his role on the board at the institute; some history of the institute; recruiting Dr. Ralph Snyderman to Duke; Wyngaarden's commitment to the concept of the physician-scientist; the status of the physician-scientist concept under President Richard Nixon; Wyngaarden's paper on the physician-scientist and that being the paper most associated with him; changes in the concept of the physician-scientist; role of the general practitioner at Duke; comments on Bayh-Dole and Technology Transfer Act; drug trials; the lack of contribution in genetics from Duke until the current time; the Human Genome Project when he was the director of NIH; his view of Genentech as the director of NIH; Snyderman's role as chancellor of Duke Medical Center; and Wyngaarden's continuing work in scientific fields since leaving the NIH. Includes 1 master audiocassette tape, 1 use audiocassette tape, and 1 transcript.

This oral history interview was conducted with James B. Wyngaarden on October 17, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry.
Duration: 00:28.32
Wyngaarden discusses Dr. Grace Kerby's role in the Department of Medicine as created by Dr. Eugene Stead (managing house staff schedules); her continuation of that role under his chairmanship; the story passed down about Kerby saving the department's reputation upon her coming to Duke; Kerby's very no-nonsense demeanor; Kerby's lower payment (under Stead) as compared to male members of the department; Wyngaarden increasing her salary when he was chair; Kerby's scientific contributions being not as great as others in the department; very few other women being in the department; Kerby's primary contributions being in the organization of the house staff schedules; Kerby's avoidance of social situations; and Kerby's contributions as a hard worker. Includes 1 master CD, 1 use CD, and 1 transcript.

This oral history interviews was conducted with Dr. Walter G. Wolfe on July 14, 1994 by Dr. James F. Gifford.

Duration: 00:40:00

During the interview, Wolfe discusses his career, work of the Pulmonary Physiology Laboratory of which Wolfe was the director, the structure of the Department of Surgery, and the evolution of the Department of Surgery.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Wolfe G. Wolfe on June 5, 2019 by Susannah Roberson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. Also present for the interview were Jackie Wolfe, Ethel Atkins, and Zane Atkins.

Duration: 01:03:11

During the interview, Wolfe discusses his early life; education; why he decided to go to medical school and become a surgeon; why he stayed at Duke for his residency and stay after the completion of his surgical training; his different roles during his long career at Duke including becoming the Program Director of the Thoracic Residency Program at Duke and the Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Durham Veteran's Administration Medical Center; what Sabiston was like as a boss; Sabiston's administration style; what it was like to be a surgery resident at Duke and what made the program under Sabiston so successful; Wolfe bringing in the first female resident, Kim Grady, to the Thoracic Residency Program he oversaw; Sabiston's national reputation; how Sabiston influenced Wolfe's research experience during his residency; Sabiston's rules; and other memories of Sabiston. Digital files include transcript (DOCX), interview (MP3), and consent form (PDF).

Dr. Wilson speaks about the three components of the Duke Medical Center during her tenure as dean (Duke School of Nursing, Duke School of Medicine, and Duke Hospital); the distinct but congruent nature of the three entities; working with Dr. William Anlyan on the Medical Education for National Defense (MEND) project; the details of the MEND project; Dr. Anlyan's request in 1968 that she return to Duke and become dean of the School of Nursing; her initial rejection of the request; the state of the School of Nursing and the nursing service at the time; her work (as a faculty member and special assistant to the director of the nursing service) on the experimental nursing project in Hanes Ward, 1961-1962; the details of that project; her success in that project being the impetus for her being recommended for the director of nursing services position; Wilma Minniear being offered that position at Wilson's recommendation; Dr. Wilson's return from her work in Thailand to become dean of the School of Nursing; the process of her becoming dean; her work as a clinical nurse specialist, beginning in 1963; the process of deciding to get an Doctor of Education degree; turning down Dr. Eugene Stead's request that she get an MD; Thelma Ingles's work with Dr. Stead; the National League of Nursing's disapproval of Duke's unorthodox methods; Dr. Stead's support; her work as dean to increase morale in the School of Nursing; creating new courses for the School of Nursing; requesting that her counterpart at the Durham VA Hospital serve on the Duke Dean's Committee; creative curriculum offerings at the Duke School of Nursing; strengthening the School of Nursing in various departments that were previously weak; working on committees to study national healthcare; working on committees to open a new building for the Duke Medical Center Library; the School of Nursing's involvement in an Area Health Education Center (AHEC); Highland Hospital; Sea Level Hospital; working on committees to outline a no-smoking policy; other collaborative efforts with the School of Medicine; her lobbying efforts on behalf of nursing; her work on committees to open Duke Hospital North; other women at Duke; the articulation of her own legacy; her committee work in the Institute of Medicine; her desire to include women in the physician's assistant program; the differences between nurses' and physicians' responsibilities; Duke School of Nursing as operating with cutting-edge ideas; Duke's support of new ideas; and her love of challenges and new opportunities.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Ronald J. Weigel on May 29, 2019 by Emily Stewart as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. Transcript is available.
Duration: 00:44:28
During the interview, Weigel discusses his early life, education, his decision to become a doctor, medical school and his PhD from Yale, his decision to pursue surgery, his decision to come to Duke for his residency, memories of Dr. Sabiston, experiences being a surgery intern at Duke, using Sabiston as his example for how to be a mentor, his experience being Sabiston's Chief Resident in 1992, how Sabiston supported African Americans and women in the Department of Surgery, how Sabiston interacted with patients, Sabiston's holiday parties, and his career after Duke.
Digital files include transcript (.DOCX), interview (.MP3), consent form (.PDF), and Bagger files (.TXT).

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. James R. Urbaniak on November 6, 2018 by Dr. Justin Barr as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.
Duration: Urbaniak 1: 00:37:56; Urbaniak 2: 00:12:32
In the November 6, 2018 interview, Urbaniak discusses his childhood, how he came to Duke, his experiences at Duke, orthopedics and orthopedic surgery, his time as the attending physician to the United States Congress and the Supreme Court during the Vietnam War, general surgery, Dr. David C. Sabiston, Dr. Lenox D. Baker, Dr. J. Leonard Goldner, hand surgery, microsurgery, and vascularized fibular grafts. Includes a master CD and transcript.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Ross M. Ungerleider on July 22, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. It is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:45:00

During the interview, Ungerleider discusses his personal background, education and surgical training, research experiences at Duke and the research being done in his laboratory, the importance of the research work done in laboratories as a means to teach the next generation of doctors, building the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) Programs at Duke, and how Sabiston's leadership of the Department of Surgery created an environment that promoted academic surgery that attracted excellent residents. Includes 1 master audiocassette tape and 1 transcript.

Mrs. Tyor discusses coming to Duke; the dietetics program at Duke; being a relative of Dr. Deryl Hart; Elsie Martin, chief of dietetics program at Duke; the atmosphere at Duke; the Duke School of Medicine class of 1946; Dr. Malcolm P. Tyor; closeness of class of 1946; marriages to dieticians, student nurses, and student technicians in class of 1946; Dr. Eugene Stead's social events with house staff; the VA Hospital; Dr. Stead's thriftiness; Dr. Stead testing the knowledge of others; professional courtesy of the medical profession before insurance companies' involvement; the connectedness of the Duke network; the return of Tyors to Duke from Jacksonville, Fla., in 1955; women not working due to having families; Jean Estes (wife of Dr. E. Harvey Estes); having a large family; the community of Duke faculty families on Anderson Street; Dr. Walter Kempner; the diet kitchen; working as a student dietician; the kitchen in Duke Hospital North; teaching students dietetics; the creation of a male nutritionist program; entertaining as the wife of division chief; going to conferences as wife of division chief; the expectations of being a wife of a division chief; the competitive nature of wives in Duke hierarchy; the role of wives as supporters to faculty husbands; Ethel Wyngaarden; Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans; Purple Jesus [alcoholic beverage]; the town-gown atmosphere of Durham; Dr. William Anlyan's influence on Duke; Joseph Greenfield; and the feeling of closeness at Duke.

This oral history interview was conducted with Pat Thibodeau on March 28 and March 29, 2017 by Joseph O'Connell.
Duration

• March 28, 2017 - 1:18:50
• March 29, 2017 - 1:12:43

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Jean Spaulding on October 3, 2006 by Jessica Roseberry as part of the Women in Duke Medicine Oral History Exhibit.
Duration: 01:18:01
Spaulding discusses her family background; growing up in Michigan; the diverse community in Michigan; coming to the South; negative and prejudiced treatment in the South as an African-American; the lack of recognition of the Vietnam War in Duke Medical School; negative treatment from some in the medical school; the medical school not being affected by the undergraduate protests and takeovers taking place at the Allen Building due to racial issues; the segregation of donors' blood along racial lines; being the only African-American in Duke Medical School; negative statements made about her scholarship in her admissions interview because she was a woman; the prejudice of some of the professors at Duke Medical School; cross burning on her front lawn; her determination to stay and exercise her civil rights; her closeness with the other five women in the class; the attractiveness of psychiatry to her; the trust relationship between patients and doctors in psychiatry; Mary Ann Black; Dr. Spaulding and Ms. Black as the only African-Americans at the Child Guidance Clinic; the close relationship with Ms. Black; the Community Child Guidance Clinic; the atmosphere of the Duke Department of Psychiatry; Dr. Ewald Busse; Dr. H. Keith H. Brodie; the open nature of those at the Child Guidance Clinic; the joys of raising a family at same time as education and career; her pregnancy during medical school; taking time off to raise her first daughter; threats of the removal of her scholarship due to time off; the rescinding of threats when legal recourses were mentioned; the Biddle Foundation Scholarship; the opportunity to chair the Community Psychiatry Division; the decision to open a private practice instead; the predominance of female clientele in her practice; the particular stresses of that population to do everything; her own perspective as a person who accomplished many things simultaneously; balance in her life; her participation in the Women's Council for Duke; assisting Dr. Snyderman in developing the health system; the board of trustees of the Duke Endowment; what the presidential search committee saw in Dr. Nannerl Keohane; Duke's acquisition of Durham Regional Hospital; communication with Mary Ann Black at the time; Duke's relationship with the larger community; the view of Duke by some segments of African-Americans in the Durham community; Mary Semans; women and African-Americans whose names should be mentioned; Promising Practices; the development of initiatives for women at Duke Health System; females in positions of high leadership at Duke; Dr. Ralph Snyderman; role as trustee of Duke Endowment; her mother-in law, Elna Spaulding; her father-in-law, Asa Spaulding; and her daughters. The transcription of this interview was made possible by a grant from the Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation. Includes 2 master CDs, 2 use CDs, and 1 transcript.

This oral history interview was conducted in two parts with Kevin W. Sowers on January 22, 2018 by Joseph O'Connell.
Duration:

• Part 1: 42:17
• Part 2: 43:46

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Ralph Snyderman on April 28, 1995 by Dr. James Gifford. It is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:18:00

During the interview, Snyderman discusses the Department of Surgery at Duke and why it is a strong department; Dr. David C. Sabiston and his high expectations; comparisons and differences between Sabiston and Dr. Eugene Stead; research in the Department of Surgery and the importance of research; Sabiston's conception of what surgery is; Sabiston's ability to recruit people and secure funding; his belief that during his time, Sabiston ran the strongest academic department in the country; and Sabiston's leadership style. Includes 1 master audiocassette tape and 1 transcript.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Ralph Snyderman on July 22, 2019 by Dr. Justin Barr as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:56:09

During the interview, Snyderman discusses his early life; decision to become a doctor; education; how he came to Duke for his residency; leaving Duke to fulfill his service obligation during the Vietnam War at the National Institute of Health; his career at Duke as a physician scientist; leaving Duke for Genentech, an emerging leader in the field of biotechnology; coming back to Duke as chancellor at the urging of his friend, Robert Lefkowitz, who was on the search committee; working as chancellor and moving to a higher position than the department heads he worked for as a resident and faculty member; the Department of Medicine and the Department of Surgery's influence over the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC); changes implemented at the PDC; changes implemented at the medical center to incorporate a referral system; the Department of Community and Family Medicine (now Duke Family Medicine and Community Health); working with Sabiston on the Department of Surgery's budget; Snyderman's working relationship with Sabiston as one that was respectful, honest, and engaging; memories of the Sabiston's Christmas parties; the strengths Sabiston brought to the Department of Surgery; Walter E. Campbell's book "Foundations for Excellence" written to celebrate to 75th anniversary of the medical center; experiences with Drs. Robert Lefkowitz, Joseph Greenfield, William Anlyan, and E. Harvey Estes; remaining in contact with Sabiston after retirement and as his health declined; and other memories of Sabiston. Digital files include transcript (DOCX), interview (WAV), consent form (PDF), and consent form addendum (DOCX).

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Peter K. Smith on July 22, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. It is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:45:00

Smith discusses his personal background; how he came to Duke; his research interests; current research; funding for his laboratory; how he manages his commitments to his laboratory, clinical practice, and administrative duties; the structure of the Residency Program; working with Sabiston; the relationships between residents and faculty; Smith's experiences as a resident; the personal cost of residency; and how the 2 years of research, which is part of Duke Surgical Training, differentiates the program from all others.