Search

Dr. Lisanby speaks about her time as chair of the Department of Psychiatry. She is the second female clinical chair at Duke University Medical Center.

Dr. Seman's work in urology; contributions to the arts; perspectives of Duke.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Courtney M. Townsend Jr on January 20, 2022 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:31:58

During the interview, Townsend discusses his background; his decision to become a surgeon; his education and training; his time in the Navy, becoming the Editor-In-Chief for the "Textbook of Surgery" after Dr. David Sabiston, as well as his experiences in that role; Sabiston's influence on the field of surgery; how Townsend shaped surgical resident education at his institution; the importance of developing a workforce that looks like the population being served; and his memories of Sabiston and his wife Agnes (Aggie) Barden Sabiston. Digital files include transcript (DOCX), interview (M4A), and consent form (PDF).

Ms. Black discusses her family background; father's career in the police force; racism in the South; influences on her career in social work; growing up in South Carolina; education; activism; public service; private practice; view of Durham community; Duke's purchase of Durham Regional Hospital; role in county commissioner's office; Duke's impact on the community; hiring of minorities; Dr. Ralph Snyderman; Office of Community Affairs; positive aspects of Duke.

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

The life of a doctor's wife.

Elizabeth "Chi" Pulley speaks about how her parents, Dr. Susan and Dr. John E. Dees, first met; her parents living with Dr. Barnes Woodhall; the difference in payment for Dr. John E. Dees and Dr. Susan Dees; other women on the Duke faculty; the distinction between Dr. Susan Dees at work and Mrs. Susan Dees at home; patient loyalty to Dr. Susan Dees; Pulley's perceptions of her mother; other mothers not working; going with her mother to Duke Hospital; Pulley playing in the hospital; the maid at home; the maid giving Pulley her nickname, "Chi"; Pulley's perception of Dr. Susan Dees's treatment at Duke; Dr. Susan Dees beginning a school for children in the hospital; Dr. Rebecca Buckley; Dr. Susan Dees's multiple retirements; Dr. Bailey Webb; Dr. Susan Dees's training residents; Dr. Susan Dees as an individual; Dr. John Dees; and Dr. Susan Dees's enthusiasm.

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.

Nursing.

Nursing.

Dr. Greenfield's career at Duke, especially in cardiology and as chair of the Department of Medicine.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. John Palmer Grant on July 12, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. It is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:38:00

During the interview, Grant discusses his background; how he became a surgeon; how he came to Duke; his involvement with nutritional support of surgical and medical patients; his involvement with the Surgical Nutrition Research Laboratory, starting intravenous feeding at Duke, and how the laboratory is funded; research pertaining the laboratory on overeating, weight loss surgery, and the effects of arginine supplementation and glutamine supplementation to intravenous feeding; Dr. David Sabiston's reputation and the Department of Surgery at Duke. Includes 1 master audiocassette tape, 1 use audiocassette tape, and 1 transcript.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Richard L. McCann on July 14, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford.
Duration: 00:25:00

McCann discusses the origins and work of the Vascular Surgery Laboratory, as well as his background and research interests. Includes a master audiocassette tape and transcript.

Dr. McCullough discusses his background; the persons who influenced his decision to go into medicine; his college education at Columbia University; the reputation of Duke University School of Medicine; the relative youth of Duke School of Medicine; his first impressions of campus; the difference between Duke and Columbia; the honor system at Duke University; his close relationship with Elizabeth Swett; Dr. Wilburt Davison; other influential people at Duke; medical student Dr. Alfred Gras's receipt of penicillin while ill at Duke; Dr. Joseph Beard's dog surgery class; being a part of the first accelerated class (due to the war), class 1943D; his family's attempts to defer his military service until after graduation; the V-12 program for medical students; aspects of Duke campus during wartime; differences in requirements for students in the army and the navy; other members of the class of 1943D; his internship in New Jersey following graduation from Duke; naval training after his internship; seeing Duke classmates on a naval ship in the Pacific; social activities at Duke; ingredients in a drink called "Purple Jesus"; the segregated nature of Duke wards; the syphilis clinic; his return to Duke for his fiftieth reunion; changes in campus; his return to Duke in 1947 as an orthopedic resident with Lenox Baker; Leonard Goldner as a fellow resident; compensation as a resident; being sent to Greensboro to assist with polio patients; the Central Carolina Convalescent Hospital; working in Pennsylvania hospital; being called to go to Korea; remaining in the service after the war; his career after the war; his continuing relationship with Drs. Goldner and Baker in his further medical career; personal health issues; his Davison Club membership; and his membership in the Piedmont Orthopedic Society.

Nevidjon discusses her background; desire to become a nurse; career choices for women in the seventies; choosing to be a nurse instead of a doctor; diploma programs versus college-based programs; deciding on Duke School of Nursing; curriculum at Duke; schedule of Duke classes; curriculum changes in her second year; visionary nature of school of nursing faculty at the time; specific women in the faculty at the time; expectation of faculty that students would attain an advanced degree; male students in graduate program as opposed to undergraduate; males on the nursing service; Wilma Minniear; nursing service's view of school of nursing graduates; working as a ward clerk the summer of sophomore year and as a professional nursing assistant (PNA) the summer of junior year; advantages of getting to know the staff in these positions and then come on staff after graduation; relationship with physicians; tight-knit nature of unit; activism of her class; black studies class; master's program at University of North Carolina; psychiatric nursing; move to Switzerland; working as oncology nurse in Switzerland; advantages of oncology nursing; becoming an administrator; Morris Building; nature of nurse management role upon her return to Duke; difference in Duke and West Coast healthcare; dysfunctional nature of nursing upon her return; changes due to external regulatory environment; chief operating officer role; Mike Israel; Ralph Snyderman; Duke Medical Center becoming a health system; political flak due to acquisition of Durham Regional Hospital; difficulty of integrating two hospitals; being female in upper management at Duke Medical Center; breaking barriers as nurse in advanced leadership position; possibility of nurses unionizing; assessment of current status of nursing school; variety of opportunities within nursing; thoughts about Duke.

This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Robert H. Jones on July 14, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. It is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project.

Duration: 00:45:00

Dr. Robert H. Jones discusses his career, his research interests, working with Sabiston in the lab at Johns Hopkins and how he was the motivation for Jones to come to Duke for his surgical residency, working for and with Sabiston at Duke, how Sabiston influenced the Department of Surgery, Sabiston's personal leadership style and work with residents, other memories of Sabiston, the origins and development of the Surgical Radioisotope Laboratory, the current cutting edge in the field, and where he sees the field going. Includes a master and use audio cassette tape.

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.

Dr. Montefiori's research and work on Humoral Immune Responses in the AIDS laboratory.

Dr. Cummings discusses his background; his family; his education; Bucknell University's library; Duke University School of Medicine; the affordability of Duke University School of Medicine; being married and being a father as a medical student; World War II; the Army specialized training program; his wife Arlene's job working for Dr. Philip Handler; being sent to Yale by Dr. Davison for a year; missing his OB/GYN training because of time spent at Yale; Wilburt and Adala Davison; his scientific interests as a medical student; Dr. David Tillerson Smith's impact; the Public Health Service; Duke University Medical Center Library; many Duke physicians being away during World War II; other classes at Duke University School of Medicine; the differences between Yale and Duke's medical schools; students helping one another at Duke; Dr. Davison's and Dr. Anlyan's appointments to the board of regents of the National Library of Medicine; his career subsequent to graduation from Duke University School of Medicine, including at the National Institute of Health and directorship of the National Library of Medicine; Mrs. Elizabeth Swett; personal interactions with visiting scientist Dr. Arturo Castiglioni; living in Camp Butner; and interactions with Dr. Davison; Dr. Philip Handler.