Collections

Dr. W. Allen Addison, MD, is the Walter L. Thomas Professor Emeritus at the Duke University School of Medicine and a past president of the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted in two parts on September 18 and September 19, 2018 by Joseph O'Connell. Throughout the interviews, Winifred Allen Addison and Sally Bender Addison discuss Dr. Addison's medical career from his upbringing in Toccoa, Georgia, through his ultimate position at Duke as Walter L. Thomas Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The topics span Addison's personal life and relationships; his areas of medical specialization; and his experience of Duke University and Duke Medical Center as an institution.

Dr. Deanna Wilson Adkins is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Duke. She is Pediatric Endocrinologist, Diabetes and Metabolism Specialist, and director and founder of Duke Child and Adolescent Gender Care Clinic. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on February 12, 2024 by Caroline Overton as part of the Bass Connections Agents of Change Oral History Project. In the interview, Adkins discusses her childhood and family, her pathway into endocrinology, how she became involved in gender-affirming care, her interdisciplinary approach to gender-affirming care, her legal advocacy work, and her advocacy to ensure the Duke Hospital system is welcoming to LGBTQ+ patients. The themes of this interview include medical care for LGBTQ+, trans rights, and the relationship between medicine and advocacy.

Contains the professional papers of Sam A. Agnello (1917-1982), coordinator of medical television and director of the Division of Audiovisual Education at Duke University Medical Center. Types of materials include correspondence, agendas, reports, proposals, outlines, newspaper clippings, budget materials, notes, programs, reprints, committee materials, and photographic materials. Major subjects include Duke University School of Medicine, audiovisual aids, and medical education. Major correspondents include Joseph E. Markee, William G. Anlyan, and Wilburt C. Davison. Materials date from 1961 to 1976.

Sezer Aksel was the second female to graduate from the residency program in Duke's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She became the professor and director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Alabama in 1981. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on September 13, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry as part of the Women in Duke Medicine Oral History Exhibit. In this interview, Aksel discusses her experiences as a woman within the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Duke and establishing the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at the University of South Alabama.

Contains the personal and professional papers of Onyekwere E. Akwari (1942-2019), the first African-American surgeon on the faculty of Duke University. Types of materials include correspondence, pamphlets, programs, financial information, calendars, datebooks, identification cards, passports and visas, applications, memorabilia, printed materials, a yearbook, certificates, building plans, cassette tapes, CDs, DVDs, U-Matic video cassettes, 16mm film reels, certificates, notes, meeting minutes and agendas, funeral programs and obituaries, photographs, newspaper clippings, publications, reprints, textiles, artifacts, scrapbooks, binders, transcripts, and electronic records pertaining to Akwari's personal and professional interests and activities. Major subjects include the Society of Black American Surgeons (SBAS) and St. Titus Episcopal Church (Durham, N.C.). Materials date from 1914 to 2021.

Irving E. Alexander (1922-2007) was a clinical psychologist and professor in Duke University's Department of Psychology and Neuroscience for 45 years. He served as department chair, taught and counseled undergraduates, trained clinicians, treated patients, served on Duke's Academic Council, was a consulting psychologist at the Durham VA Hospital and in the Halifax County (North Carolina.) school system, and was a consultant to programs for gifted children including the Presidential Scholars program. Types of materials include reading lists, notes, lectures, outlines, clippings, articles, slides, photographs, negatives, programs, correspondence, dream journals, agendas, schedules, membership lists, speeches, meeting minutes, and grant proposals. Materials range in date from 1940 to 2006.

Dr. Nancy Bates Allen, MD, is professor emeritus, Duke University School of Medical, Division of Rheumatology and Immunology. While at Duke, she served in numerous leadership roles and pushing for change around issues of gender equity and diversity and inclusion. She served as a member of the first and subsequent committees for women faculty and as Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Faculty Development. Allen retired in 2020. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on November 10, 2006 by Jessica Roseberry and June 1, 2020 by Joseph O'Connell as part of the Department of Medicine's Oral History Project. In the November 10, 2006 interview, Allen discusses women's issues in the medical field, including her own experiences as a female staff member in the Duke University Medical Center Department of Medicine's Division of Rheumatology; Dr. Joseph Greenfield; and Dr. Nannerl O. Keohane. In the June 1, 2020 interview, Allen discusses Allen discusses her early life, interest in medicine, medical education, her career, and her experiences preparing for retirement during the Spring 2020 emergence of COVID-19.

Tasha Allen, RN, has a passion for primary prevention and education. She is currently a public health nurse and case manager for high-risk pregnancies with the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCDoPH). Allen has worked in collaboration with Duke midwives in a clinical setting since 2004. In 2004, Allen was one of the first DCDoPH nurses to facilitate Centering Pregnancy groups with Duke Midwifery Service at Lincoln Community Health Center, continuing in this role until 2010. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on November 18, 2022 by Josephine McRobbie as part of the Duke Midwifery Service and Durham Maternal Health Oral History Project, which was funded by The Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation Endowment Fund. In the interview, Allen discusses the Centering Pregnancy modality, public health nursing, and the challenges of providing care to under-resourced communities. The themes of this interview include prenatal care, health education, and health disparities.

The Alpha Omega Alpha, Alpha (AOA) Chapter Records documents the activities, administration, and membership of the Alpha chapter of Alpha Omega Alpha at Duke University, installed locally in 1932. AOA is an honorary medical society. Duke members have included faculty, house staff and students. The collection contains AOA administrative records, lists of member names, correspondence, and event information. Types of materials include brochures, correspondence, and lists. Major subjects include Duke University School of Medicine and medical students. Materials range in date from 1960 to 1989.