Contains the personal and professional papers of J. Deryl Hart, chair of the Department of Surgery at Duke University from 1930 to 1960, and president of Duke University from 1960 to 1963. Major subjects include Chowan College, Duke University Medical Center, the Duke Private Diagnostic Clinic, surgical wound infection, medical hospitals, history of teaching medical schools, and history of surgery in North Carolina. Types of materials include personal and professional correspondence, memorabilia, certificates, diplomas, scrapbooks, photographs, speeches, lectures, addresses, clippings, sketches, reprints, ledgers, lantern slides, subject files, and committee materials. Materials range in date from 1916 to 1987.
Contains Hart's personal correspondence with family (mostly with sister Mary Hart) or friends and general Duke-related correspondence with colleagues. Also contains correspondence pertains to homes and property in Durham, N.C. and Roaring Gap, N.C.