Collections

Contains specifications and construction documents used to guide planning and construction of buildings of the Duke University Medical Center. Building plans and site plans were created by or retained by Duke University Medical Center, Engineering and Operations department. Major subjects in this collection include history of Duke University Medical Center buildings and Duke Hospital. Materials range in date from 1927 to 1996.

Contains photographs of the Duke University Medical Center (DUMC), staff, students, professors, departments, events and educational activities, class reunions, class photographs, and student life. Photographs of affiliated local hospitals such as Watts Hospital and Lincoln Hospital are also included. Also contains photographs appearing in the publications the Intercom (1979-1986) and Perspectives (1980-1991). Materials were created by various Duke University photographers, including staff from the Division of Educational Medial Services and Duke Photography; individuals; and the United States government. Types of materials include photographic prints of varying sizes, 35mm slides, film negatives of varying sizes, and digital files. Materials range in date from 1928 to 2024.

Robert B. Jennings, MD (1926- ) was a Professor of Pathology at Duke from 1975 to 2003. He joined Duke faculty in 1975 as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology, and he remained in that position until 1989. Jennings's area of research was focused on ischemic heart disease. While at Duke, Jennings was appointed James B. Duke Professor of Pathology in 1980 and was made Professor Emeritus upon his retirement in 2003. Types of materials include Jennings's travel files, papers, manuscripts, lectures, photographs, and personal and professional correspondence. Materials range in date from 1929 to 2013, and some materials are undated.

Charlies Watson Wharton (1909-1990) had a medical practice in Smithfield, North Carolina. The collection includes notebooks; diagrams; sketches about preclinical subjects, physiology, and pharmacology; medical histories; and physical examinations. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1933.

Contains the professional papers of Bessie Baker (1874-1942), first dean of the Duke University School of Nursing. Types of materials include correspondence, writings, and course materials. Major subjects include Duke Hospital, Duke University School of Nursing, nursing education, and nursing students. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1941.

Contains professional papers of Josiah C. Trent (1914-1948), associate professor of surgery and chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Duke. Materials include correspondence, patient files, and subject files pertaining to Dr. Trent's professional life. Most of the correspondence chronicles Trent's involvement with various professional organizations and his acquaintance with prominent figures in various fields: medical history--John Fulton, Henry Sigerist, and W. W. Francis; the history of Duke University--Wilburt C. Davison, Lenox D. Baker; the history of the development of library administration--Thomas Keys and Bertha Hallam. The bulk of the materials were removed from Trent's medical office upon his death and has relatively few items that pertain to his personal life. Items of a more personal nature are located with the James H. and Mary D. B. T. Semans Family Papers in Duke University's Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library. Materials date from 1930 to 1961.

Edwin Crowell Hamblen (1900-1963) served as a professor of endocrinology at Duke University School of Medicine and later chief of the endocrine division and endocrinologist at Duke University Hospital. Types of materials include correspondence, manuscript materials, articles, reprints, photographs, and certificates. Major subjects include Edwin C. Hamblen, Duke University Medical Center faculty, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, reproductive medicine, and endocrine aspects of gynecology. Some materials are in Spanish. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1969.

Contains the professional records of Dr. Joseph E. Markee, former chair of the Dept. of Anatomy at Duke University.

Contains the professional papers of Francis Bayard "Nick" Carter (1898-1977), physician, professor, and chair of the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Types of materials include correspondence, subject files, speeches and presentations, reports, budgets, lists, articles, course materials, studies, and meeting minutes. Major subjects include study and teaching of obstetrics and gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, and Duke University Hospital. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1976.

Lenox D. Baker graduated as part of Duke University School of Medicine's first graduating class in 1932. He came back to Duke in 1937 and became the chief of the Division of Orthopaedics, a position he held until 1967. He helped establish the North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital and served as its medical director until 1972. Baker was also a founding member and later president of the North Carolina Orthopaedic Association. This collection contains personal, professional, and administrative materials in connection with Baker. Materials include correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings, articles, and meeting and society records. Major subjects include his work as chief of Duke University's Division of Orthopaedics at Duke University, as well as his role in various clinics and his work at the Cerebral Palsy Hospital. Other subjects include politics and elections, including Baker's support for various candidates, the North Carolina Employ the Physically Handicapped Commission, and professional societies such as the North Carolina Orthopaedic Society, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Orthopaedic Association. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1979.