Collections

Nancy C. Andrews, MD, PhD is the former vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of the Duke University School of Medicine (2007-2017). After stepping down as dean she became the Nanaline H. Duke Professor of Pediatrics and a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology. Andrews received her MD-PhD degree, through a joint program at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews: November 30, 2010 and January 8 and 10, 2019. Andrews discusses her childhood, early interest in science, educational background, her administrative roles at Harvard and Duke, and her research. Themes within her interviews include women in science and medicine, advances in the science of iron diseases, and the lived experience of doing laboratory science.

Contains audiotapes and transcript of an oral history interview with Nannerl O. Keohane, professor of political science and president of Duke University from 1993 to 2004.

Dr. Nelson Jen An Chao, MD, is Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine. His leadership at Duke includes roles as Chief of the Division of Cell Therapy in the Department of Medicine and Director of the Global Cancer Program at the Duke Global Health Institute. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on March 25, 2021 by Joseph O'Connell as part of the Department of Medicine's Oral History Project. In the interview, Chao discusses his upbringing in Brazil, his reflections on his medical training, his observations on transplant as a complex medical issue, and a description of his work leading the Duke Global Cancer Program. The themes of these interviews include leadership, equity in medicine, cancer treatment, and stem cell transplantation.

Contains news clippings pertaining to Duke University Medical Center. Major subjects include Duke University Hospital, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, Highland Hospital, and the 65th General Hospital. Clippings were collected by a news clipping service. Materials range in date from 1927 to 1986.

Contains the records of the F. Bayard Carter Society, better known as the "Nick Carter Travel Club," an organization associated with Duke's Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Types of materials include incoming and outgoing correspondence, clippings, programs, reports, a CV, photographs, negatives, photo albums, and scrapbooks pertaining to the travels and activities of the Society. Materials date from 1923 to 2003.

Contains the professional papers of Norman Francis Conant (1908-1984), James B. Duke professor and chair of Microbiology and Immunology at Duke University. Types of materials include correspondence, speeches, conference and presentation materials, manuscript materials, reprints, teaching materials, and meeting minutes. Major subjects include the Duke University School of Medicine, the Department of Immunology, and study and teaching of immunology, microbiology, and mycology. Materials range in date from 1930 to 1981.

Retired U.S. Army Colonel, Dr. Norman M. Rich, MD, a vascular surgeon, refined vascular surgical techniques as a young surgeon in Vietnam. His expertise and techniques saved many soldiers from limb amputation or death, which led him to be known as the surgeon who heralded a new age in vascular injury management, with particular focus on venous reconstruction. After Vietnam, Rich went on to a long academic career in the field of vascular surgery. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on May 21, 2019 by Dr. Justin Barr as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview, Rich discusses his early life in a copper mining town in Arizona; early interest in the repair of blood vessels; education; decision to become a surgeon; military service as a surgeon in Vietnam and later running the vascular service at Walter Reed and running the vascular fellowship program; Rich and Sabiston's friendship and warm working relationship; Rich's career in medicine after retiring from active duty; attending conferences, domestic and international, with Sabiston; and Rich's commitment to teamwork.

The North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program began in 1972 to establish statewide community training for health professionals and to reverse a trend toward shortages and uneven distribution of primary care physicians in the state's rural areas. Contains correspondence, reports, minutes, transcripts, newspaper articles, budgets, informational directories, and directories pertaining to the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers Program and the Duke-Fayetteville Area Education Center (now the Southern Region). Major correspondents include Ewald W. Busse, William G. Anlyan, and Thomas E. Frothingham. Materials range in date from 1973 to 1990.

The North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital provided treatment and educational opportunities for children with cerebral palsy under the age of 21. The hospital offered in-patient, out-patient and clinic services on a sliding-fee scale. This collection contains a football game program for the "Twenty-Fourth Annual Cerebral Palsy Football Classic: Carolina vs. Duke," held on October 30 1976, and North Carolina Cerebral Palsy Hospital Board of Directors minutes which cover annual reports, staffing appointments, and quarterly meetings. Materials range in date from 1945 to 1979.

The North Carolina League of Nursing Education, working with the support of the North Carolina State Nurses' Association, had two main goals: to create a statewide nursing curriculum and to expand the professional nursing association structure. These two organizations guided the professional advancement of North Carolina's nurses. This collection includes North Carolina League of Nursing Education Board of Directors minutes, committee lists, committee and membership letters, member lists, and correspondence. Also includes the North Carolina League of Nursing Education constitution and bylaws and the program for the forty-fifth annual convention program. Materials date from 1946 to 1948.

Contains the organizational records of the North Carolina Licensed Practical Nurses Association (NCLPNA), whose mission was to provide professional development, continuing education opportunities, and political advocacy for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and practical nursing students in the state of North Carolina. Major topics include licensed practical nursing, nursing education standards in North Carolina, African American women in medicine, North Carolina hospital systems, and healthcare advocacy. Types of materials include subject files, meeting minutes, reports, correspondence, continuing education and conference materials, publications, financial records, membership records, bound and unbound ledgers, photographs, publications, transparencies, ephemera, and drawings. Materials range in date from 1946 to 2012, with the bulk dating from 1965 to 2009.

The Occupational and Environmental Safety Office at Duke University ensures that Duke's patient care, research, and teaching environments are in accord with all regulatory requirements, relevant community standards, and institutional resources.

The Biological Safety Division of the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office at Duke University addresses employee safety, training, policies, and other concerns regarding occupational exposure to biological agents such as bloodborne pathogens and tuberculosis. Collection includes bulletins, reports, committee materials, exposure management plans, and correspondence. Major subjects include occupational and environmental health, research regulations, and tuberculosis exposure management. Materials range in date from 1979 to 2003.

The Office of Creative Services and Marketing Communications works with clients across Duke University Health System to create communication media such as publications, Web sites, ad campaigns, banners, and holiday cards. The office publishes annual reports, long range plans, and other works that document the history of the Health System, including "INSIDE Duke Medicine." The office also assists in creating presentations for various personnel matters. Materials in this collection includes photographs, negatives, and contact sheets taken for publication purposes, including for the publication "INSIDE Duke Medicine." Other materials include promotional flyers, brochures, posters, annual reports, long range plans, handbooks, buttons, pins, and other materials intended for an internal audience. The collection also contains the binders and files of Marsha Green, the former manager of internal communications and assistant director of communications and editor of "INSIDE Duke Medicine," materials including correspondence, clippings, handwritten notes, presentations, news releases, drafts, reports, handbooks, brochures, publications, and resumes. Also includes digital files. Digital files document Duke Health's response to COVID-19 and include images distributed to external news organizations and content from Duke Health's COVID-19 website (https://covid-19.dukehealth.org/) including Duke Health Nursing and Duke Health Leadership virtual town halls. The digital files also document Moments to Movement (M2M), Duke Health's collective stand against systemic racism, injustice, and hate, panel series and associated virtual town halls. Materials date from 1970 to 2023.

Contains the administrative records of the Office of Curricular Affairs at the Duke University School of Medicine. The bulk of the collection pertains to curriculum development, assessment, and accreditation. Types of materials include Curriculum Committee meeting materials, other curriculum development groups; minutes, Third Year Committee materials, agendas, and handouts, course evaluations, tests, email attachments sent to students from the office, and programs for the Duke School of Medicine Student Research Symposium (formerly known as Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Day, AOA Annual Scientific Research Symposium, and Annual Original Studies Symposium), where third year students present their research finding via poster or platform presentations. Materials range in date from 1972 to 2024.

Contains the records of the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs, primarily the records of the Duke Medical Alumni Association. The Duke Medical Alumni Association includes graduates of the Duke School of Medicine, former Duke house staff, current medical students, current house staff, and Duke University Medical Center faculty. Types of materials included are correspondence; programs; class letters; photographs; alumni directories; fundraising materials; lists; documentation of awards, galas, and anniversary celebrations; digital files; and a small amount of artwork. Major subjects include Duke University Medical Center alumni and alumnae and Duke University School of Medicine alumni and alumnae. Materials range in date from 1932 to 2024.

Contains the administrative files of the Office of Grants and Contracts within the Office of Research Administration at the Duke University School of Medicine. Types of materials include reports, research grants for the Department of Surgery, and budgets. Materials range in date from 1984 to 1993.

Dr. O. Michael Colvin (1936-2013) served as director of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center from 1995 to 2002, and as William Shingleton Professor of Cancer Research from 2002 to 2008. In addition to his administrative and educative roles, Colvin conducted pioneering research on cyclophosphamide and other alkylating agents, in the pursuit of bettering chemotherapy and tumor treatment. Among other materials, the collection contains correspondence, clippings, committee and conference materials, research notes, writings, photographs, awards, and digital files. Major subjects include Colvin's research and positions in professional organizations. Materials range in date from 1957 to 2009, with the bulk dating from 1987 to 2009.

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.

Contains materials pertaining to the career of Oscar Carl Hansen-Pruss (1900-1970), professor of internal medicine at Duke University Medical Center and one of ten original professors of the Duke University School of Medicine in 1930. Types of materials include correspondence, research notes, short writings, poems, manuscript materials, reprints, manuals, guides, conference and seminar records, academic and membership certificates, cards, and other memorabilia. Major subjects in this collection include microscopy, asthma, and allergies. Materials range in date from 1918 to 1966.

Dr. Pamela Susan Douglas, MD, a cardiologist, specializes in diagnostic imaging of the heart. Her research has been instrumental in setting standards for the application and interpretation of echocardiograms. Douglas is the Ursula Geller Professor of Research in Cardiovascular Diseases in the Department of Medicine at Duke University, as well as the Director of the Multimodality Imaging Program at Duke Clinical Research Institute. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on September 23, 2020 by Joseph O'Connell as part of the Department of Medicine's Oral History Project. In the interview, Douglas discusses her career trajectory, her work in protocols and standards related to echocardiography and imaging technologies, and how she has contributed to efforts related to diversity and burnout in the field of cardiology. The themes of these interviews include medical standards, heart disease, and diversity and inclusion in medicine.

Patricia Bartlett, a clinical social worker, worked with HIV/AIDS patients in Durham, North Carolina, in the early 1980s at Durham County Regional Hospital (now Duke Regional Hospital). In 1988, she began working with Dr. John A. Bartlett's clinic on the Reynolds grant, which aimed to produce research comparing healthcare costs between home care and hospital care for dying AIDS patients. Her fearlessness and general familiarity with governmental bureaucracy became a lifeline for the AIDS patients at Duke. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on January 29, 2024 by Anthony Zhao as part of the Bass Connections Agents of Change Oral History Project. In the interview, Bartlett discusses her care for a friend with AIDS in the early 1980s; her activism for patients not only at Duke, but also Durham County General Hospital; the negative reputation of John Bartlett's HIV/AIDS clinic at Duke; the extensive resistance she met from community organizations; and memorable experiences with patients at Duke. The themes of this interview include stigmatization and discrimination, community activism, health education, and patient advocacy.

Patricia (Pat) L. Thibodeau, former Associate Dean for Library Services and Archives at the Duke University Medical Center Library & Archives (DUMCL&A), received degrees from the University of New Hampshire and the University of Rhode Island. Prior to joining the DUMCL&A in 1993, she worked as a cataloger at Rhode Island College, Director of the Health Sciences Information Center and Research Administration at the Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, and Library Director at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (AHEC). This collection includes two oral history interviews conducted with Thibodeau on March 28 and March 29, 2017 at the time Thibodeau was preparing to retire from his position as Associate Dean for Library Services and Archives at DUMCL&A. The interviews include discussions of Thibodeau's life and career history, from her upbringing in rural New Hampshire through her achievements as Associate Dean. In addition to narrating key events, Thibodeau describes the people who influenced her philosophy of librarianship, her career-long interest in learning and applying new technologies, and the challenges of administration during times of institutional restructuring.

Paul R. Newman is the Senior Vice President of the Duke Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC), PLLC, and Executive Director of the Duke Patient Revenue Management Organization. Newman began work at the PDC in September 1994, and he was named Executive Director of the Patient Revenue Management Organization in March 2001. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on October 30, 2019 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview, Newman discusses his education; how he became interested in the Hospital Administration program at Duke; experiences working at the PDC, including the merger of the surgical and medical PDC; the details of his role as a hospital administrator; the creation of the Duke University Health System; and his memories of working with Sabiston.

Dr. Peter Kent Smith, MD, Chief of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, is a heart surgeon who specializes in coronary artery bypass, grafting, and valve replacement. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on July 22, 1994 and January 3, 1996 by Dr. James Gifford. Both interviews are included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the July 22, 1994 interview Smith discusses his background in research and the operation of his laboratory. In the January 3, 1996 interview Smith discusses his career as a thoracic surgeon, and particularly his work as Chief of the Division of Thoracic Surgery.

Contains the professional papers of Philip Handler (1917-1981), professor and chair of Duke University's Department of Biochemistry. Types of materials include correspondence, programs, bulletins, illustrations, exams, course materials, applications, agendas, reports, writings, clippings, speeches, tributes, invoices, reprints, biographical materials, questionnaires, and photographs. Major correspondents include Wilburt Cornell Davison, Barnes Woodhall, andWilliam A. Perlzweig. Major subjects include Duke University's Research Training Program, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, medical education, National Academy of Sciences, Lederle Laboratories, and Oak Ridge Laboratories. Materials date from 1933 to 1982.

Dr. Philip H. Pearce, a graduate of the Duke University School of Medicine, was a partner in the Durham Women's Clinic from 1967 to 2004 where he worked closely with Dr. Eleanor B. Easley, the clinic's co-founder. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on May 25, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry as part of the Women in Duke Medicine Oral History Exhibit and March 21, 2024 by Ava Meigs as part of the Bass Connections Agents of Change Oral History Project. In the May 25, 2007 interview, Pearce discusses Easley and the Durham Women's Clinic. In the March 21, 2024 interview, which primarily focuses on Easley as a pivotal figure at Duke and in Durham, Pearce discusses Easley's experiences as the first woman to receive a four-year medical degree from Duke, her primary responsibilities at the Durham Women's clinic, her abortion advocacy and involvement in medical politics, and her impact on women's health care and health equity. The themes of this interview includes gender discrimination, abortion advocacy, women's health, community activism, and health equity.

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.

Phyllis C. Leppert, MD, is a physician, researcher, and advocate for women's health. She dedicated her career and life to improving reproductive healthcare outcomes and abortion rights for women of all backgrounds. Leppert's career in women's health began in nursing and midwifery, but later she received both a medical degree from Duke University and a doctorate degree from Columbia University. She worked as the chief of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Reproductive Branch and began the first national Clinical Reproductive Endocrinology Scientist Training Program in conjunction with Duke University. In 2006, she joined Duke's faculty. During her medical career, her research focused on the role of the cervix during pregnancy/birth and uterine fibroids. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on January 24 and March 2, 2024 by Gemma Holland as part of the Bass Connections Agents of Change Oral History Project. In the January 22 and March 2, 2024 interviews, Leppert discusses transitioning from nursing to medical school, encountering gender-related challenges in male-dominated environments, and navigating a diverse career trajectory spanning clinical practice, research, and academia. The themes of these interviews include gender dynamics in healthcare, mentorship, advocacy for underrepresented groups, and the impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on addressing complex healthcare problems.

Contains the administrative records of the Physician Assistant (PA) Program at the Duke University Medical Center, as well as the papers of the following program administrators: D. Robert Howard, John James McQueary, Reginald D. Carter, and Patricia (Pat) M. Dieter. Types of materials include correspondence, minutes, handbooks, grant materials, certificates, newsletters, budgets, reports, proceedings, subject files, publications, awards, photographs, audiotapes, memorabilia, clippings, announcements, memoranda, reprints, seminar flyers, original comic strip artwork, plaques, scrapbooks, oral history tapes and transcripts, computer disks, magnetic cards, videos, slides, and digital files. Major organizations include the American Academy of Physician Assistants, the Academy of Physician Assistant Programs, the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants, the North Carolina Academy of Physician Assistants, and the Eugene A. Stead Society. Major subjects include establishment of the PA profession, PA programs, PA history, admissions processes, curricula, PA education, accreditation standards, students, PA utilization and employment, certification of PAs, public and professional acceptance of PAs, third party Medicare Reimbursement, continuing medical education, area health education centers, and PA legislation. Materials range in date from 1964 to 2021.

Dr. Priya Kishnani was involved in designing the first clinical trials for a new treatment of Glycogen Storage Disease Type II, also known as Pompe disease, at Duke. She has become an expert in designing clinical trials for treatments of rare diseases, and has dedicated her career to advancing the treatment of Pompe disease globally. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on December 29, 2010 by Jessica Roseberry as part of the Women in Duke Medicine Oral History Exhibit. In this interview, Kishnani discusses her research with Pompe Disease patients and the experience of being a female in science and the medical field.

Contains the business records of Project Med-Aid, a radio consultative program based at Duke University which used radio communications to assist isolated doctors in other countries. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, clippings, photographs, constitution and bylaws, minutes, a grant application, blueprints, logs, and participant lists. Major subjects include Duke University Medical Center, amateur radio stations, E. Croft Long, radio, and medical missions. Materials range in date from 1965 to 1970.

Collection contains periodicals created for the Duke University Medical Center community. Major subjects include Duke Hospital, health care, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University School of Nursing, Duke Medical Alumni Association and student life. Materials range in date from 1932 to 2024.

Ralph Arnold (1910-1960) was a professor of otology and an associate professor of otolaryngology and ophthalmology at the Duke University Medical Center in the 1940s and 1950s. He also served as part of the 65th General Hospital during World War II. The collection consists photographs, correspondence, records pertaining to the patent Arnold received for silicone treated cotton, medical records from Arnold's time in the army, and medical equipment, at least some of which was used for the 65th General Hospital. Materials date from 1942 to 2013.

Dr. Ralph Randal (Randy) Bollinger, MD, a surgeon who spent his entire professional career at Duke, was appointed to the surgery faculty in 1980 and appointed Chief of Transplantation in 1983. He was instrumental in the development of liver and pancreas transplantation, participating in the first liver transplant at Duke, and pioneering the technical, immunological, and logistical complexities of these burgeoning operations. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on July 21, 1994 and November 28, 1995 by Dr. James Gifford. Both interviews are included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the July 21, 1994 interview Bollinger discusses his career as a surgeon, his research interests, and the work of his laboratory within the structure of the Department of Surgery. In the November 28, 1995 interview Bollinger discusses his work as Chief of the Division of General Surgery.

Dr. Ralph Snyderman, MD, is Chancellor Emeritus of Duke University, James B. Duke Professor of Medicine, and Director of the Duke Center for Research on Personalized Health Care. Contains administrative records created by Snyderman during his tenure as Chancellor for Health Affairs and President and CEO of Duke University Health System (1989-2004). Types of materials include minutes, agendas, reports, committee materials, chronological files, and videotapes. Major subjects include Duke University Medical Center, Duke University Health System, School of Medicine, School of Nursing and administration. Materials date from 1899 to 2015.