Collections

Contains records created by the office of Robert G. Winfree (1943-2011), an administrator of Duke University Medical Center. Winfree's work involved close contact with top-level medical center administrators, including Ralph Snyderman, William Anlyan, Bernard McGinty, and Jane Elchlepp. Records pertain to the administration of Duke University Medical Center divisions, especially regarding accreditation, investigative compliance, and building maintenance and expansion. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, memoranda, minutes, budgets, space allocation plans, and committee materials. Subjects include space allocation, clinics, accreditation, administration, management, compliance, site visits, public relations, expansion, Duke University Medical Center buildings, Sea Level Hospital, Duke Health Information Systems, the Medical Center Information System, and the personal life of Robert G. Winfree. Materials range in date from 1951 to 1994.

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 the professional papers Snyderman created during his tenure as chief of the Division of Rheumatic and Genetic Diseases (1976-1985) within the Department of Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. Also includes research and teaching materials. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, committee materials, meeting and conference records, speeches, photographs, clippings, brochures, pamphlets, grant materials, patent materials, and writings. Major correspondents include Joseph Greenfield, Barton Haynes, George Cianciolo, and Robert Lefkowitz. Major subjects include Duke University Medical Center, Duke University Health System, School of Medicine, arthritis, and drug therapy for arthritis and inflammation. Materials date from 1951 to 1990.

Contains materials pertaining to the clinical and educational activities of the Poison Control Center at Duke University, established in 1954 and headed by Jay Arena and later Shirley K. Osterhout. The Poison Control Center provided information to individuals and businesses about the product safety and chronic and acute management of poisoning through referrals, correspondence, and educational speakers. Types of materials include correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, memoranda, articles, patient summaries, tests, discussion notes, informational materials relating to poisons and drug interactions, phone logs, pamphlets, brochures, budgets, and copies of newspaper clippings. Major subjects include the Duke University Medical Center, Poison Control Centers, poisoning in children, accidental poisoning, prevention and treatment of poisoning, Jay Arena, and Shirley K. Osterhout. Materials range in date from 1951 to 1987.

Contains the personal and professional papers of William J. A. DeMaria (1923-1990), a professor in the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Community Health Sciences, as well as an associate director for medical education at Duke University Medical Center. He became the first director of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in 1976. Types of materials include publications, news clippings, reports, correspondence, articles, papers, and handwritten notes pertaining to various topics regarding pediatrics and public health at Duke University Medical Center and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. Materials range in date from 1951 to 1984.

Contains the teaching films of W. Banks Anderson Sr. (1897-1977), professor of ophthalmology and first ophthalmologist at Duke University Medical Center. Materials include 16mm teaching films and their accompanying notes. Materials date from the 1950s to the 1960s.

Contains the personal and professional records of Dale Purves, professor of neurobiology, chair of the Department of Neurobiology (1999-2002), and director of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University Medical Center. Types of materials include laboratory notebooks, photographs, slides, correspondence, manuscripts, short writings, clippings, committee materials, professional organization materials, memorabilia, grant materials, media files, posters, and emails. Major subjects include neurosciences, neurobiology, and visual perception. Materials range in date from 1950 to 2020.

Ross E. McKinney Jr, MD, is a Professor of Pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Duke. He joined Duke faculty in 1985, and his area of research is pediatric HIV clinical research. While at Duke, McKinney has held the positions of director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Vice Dean for Research for the Duke University School of Medicine, and Director of the Trent Center for Bioethics, Humanities & History of Medicine. Includes records pertaining to four areas in which McKinney worked: pediatrics and pediatric infectious disease, Vice Dean for Research, Director of the Trent Center, and the Conflict of Interest Committee. Materials date from 1950 to 2015.

Contains the professional papers of George L. Maddox (1925-2012), a professor of sociology and former director of the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Types of materials include reprinted articles, correspondence, lectures, notes, books, course materials, meeting minutes, grant materials, research, clippings, reports, presentations, reviews, agendas, promotional materials, scheduled reports, work plans, site visit records, program proposals, staffing records, evaluative and screening materials, editorial files, charters and by-laws, policies and guidelines, policy recommendations, publications, photographs, and digital records. Special topics include the Community Partnerships for Older Adults, the Long Term Care Resources Program, and research conducted by Senior Fellows at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development under Maddox's directorship. Materials range in date from 1950 to 2010.

Materials were created by staff and artists of Medical Art, later Medical Illustration, a section of Educational Media Services, a division of the Duke University School of Medicine. Artists include Elon H. Clark, Robert L. Blake, Robert G. Gordon and Stanley M. Coffman. Types of materials include photographs, negatives, slides, sketches, and drawings. The collection also contains prints, negatives, and sketches of items created by Gordon and Coffman for David C. Sabiston's "Atlas of Cardiothoracic Surgery." Major subjects include Duke University School of Medicine and medical illustration. Materials range in date from 1950 to 2003.

Ivan W. Brown (1915-2009) graduated from Duke University School of Medicine in 1940 and is a former James B. Duke Professor of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center. This collection consists of correspondence between Ivan W. Brown and Elmer L. DeGowin regarding Duke University Medical Center's Central Supply and Blood Bank, a retirement speech given by Clarence Ellsworth Gardner, and reprints of three of Ivan W. Brown's articles. One of these articles details the adventures of Wilburt C. Davison, Wilder G. Penfield, and Emile F. Holman. Materials range in date from 1949 to 1996.

Contains the professional papers of William McNeal Nicholson (1905-1974), former professor, assistant dean of continuing medical education, and chief of the metabolism clinic at Duke University Hospital. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, publications, committee materials, and a manual. Major topics include Duke University hospitals and medical education. Major correspondents include Wilburt C. Davision. Materials range in date from 1949 to 1974.

Established in 1930, The Department of Surgery was one of the first departments at Duke Hospital and Duke School of Medicine. The collection contains correspondence, reports, photographs, composite photographs, handbooks, invitations, microscope slides, negatives, 35mm projector slides, research notes, research logs, articles, artifacts, reference files, programs, departmental publications, financial records, and digital files documenting the day to day operations of the department. Materials range in date from 1930 to 2024.

Contains materials pertaining to Roger D. Williams (1924-2009), graduate of Duke University School of Medicine and Professor of General Surgery at Ohio State University College of Medicine. Types of materials include bound volumes of reprints of Williams' publications and his Duke graduate robe and hood. Materials date from 1947 to 1966.

Contains audio, video, and a small amount of digital photographs documenting the history of Duke University Medical Center. Coverage includes documentaries, alumni gatherings, interviews, speeches, lectures, conferences, awards, tributes, groundbreakings, building dedications, grand rounds, and student-faculty shows. Materials in this collection have been acquired from multiple sources. Some of the materials have been separated from existing collections. People featured in the collection include: Jay M. Arena; William G. Anlyan; Lenox D. Baker; Ivan W. Brown; F. Bayard Carter; Elon Clark; Martin M. Cummings; Wilburt C. Davison; Victor J. Dzau; Wiley D. Forbus; Joseph C. Greenfield, Jr.; Charles B. Hammond; Philip Handler; Merel Harmel; Barton F. Haynes; Leslie Hohman; Charles Johnson; Samuel L. Katz; Joseph E. Markee; Robert J. Reeves; David T. Smith; Eugene A. Stead, Jr.; Andrew G. Wallace; and Barnes Woodhall. Items of note include Wilburt C. Davison's Dave at Roaring Gap, MEDSAC and Quail Roost conference recordings, a 14-part orientation of Duke Hospital North, documentaries about the 65th General Hospital, documentaries about Duke's hyperbaric chamber, the multi-part interview series "Before the Colors Fade," and "Keepers of the House" documentary. Also includes videos of the School of Medicine's Match Day program and Memory Lane video series for graduating medical students. Types of formats include VHS tapes, Betacam tapes, U-Matic tapes, audiocassette tapes, DVDs, CDs, other forms for optical media, film, magnetic tapes, reel-to-reel audio, wire recordings, and digital files. Materials range in date from 1946 to 2024.

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.

This collection contains video footage documenting the history of Duke University Medical Center. The EMS Film Reels series contain films that came from the office of Educational Media Services. Coverage includes operations, procedures, instructional aids, conference presentations, and documentaries. People featured in the collection include David C. Sabiston, Leonard Goldner, Wilburt C. Davison, Jospeh E. Markee, Onye Akwari, James F. Glenn, and Allen Roses. Items of note include Wilburt C. Davison's "Dave at Roaring Gap" film clips, and IBM Conference film. Materials range in date from 1946 to 1991 with the bulk being undated.

Contains professional papers of Julian Meade Ruffin, gastroenterologist at Duke University Hospital and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology (1930-1965).

This collection contains materials related to Myrtle Irene Brown (1915-2007), faculty member and dean of the Duke University School of Nursing from 1967 to 1970. Materials include lectures, correspondence, evaluations, committee records and minutes, rosters, financial aid materials, conference and council records, reports, standards, supply lists, blueprints, and plans. Major subjects include the graduate and undergraduate curriculum, faculty and administration, admissions, student activities, and facilities at the School of Nursing. Materials range in date from 1946 to 1975.

Collection contains nursing unifrom materials and photographs pertaining to student life at Duke University School of Nursing.

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.

This collection contains the collected materials which document the professional career of Wolfgang K. Joklik, Chair of the Duke Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (1968-1993) and co-founder of the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center (1972). Materials include reprints; manuscript materials and publication correspondence; proceedings and correspondence relating to professional organizations of which Joklik was a member; programs and correspondence concerning professional talks, meetings, workshops, and symposia; employee files and recommendations; Duke University news publications; and subject files concerning the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center. Major subjects include the National Academy of Science (NAS), the American Society of Virology, the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Cancer Special Program Advisory Committee, the American Society for Microbiology, and both the McGinnis Memorial and Joklik Lecture Series. Materials date from 1945 to 2013.

Documents the professional career of Ewald W. Busse (1917-2004), the former chair of Duke's Department of Psychiatry and founding director the Duke University Center for Aging and Human Development. The materials include Busse's "History of the Department of Psychiatry at Duke"; Busse's reprints; a history of the Duke Medical Center Building Fund; awards and honors; reports and evaluations regarding the J. B. Gibbons Scholarship; minutes, newsletters, correspondence, and publications from the International Association of Gerontology; information about Highland Hospital (Asheville, North Carolina); materials regarding the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development; and the Medical School Advisory Committee's (MedSAC) minutes materials. Materials range in date from 1945 to 2003.

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.

Leslie Benjamin Hohman (1891-1972) was a professor of psychiatry at the Duke University School of Medicine from 1946 until 1960, later serving as professor emeritus. He also held the position of director of the Child Guidance Clinic in Durham, North Carolina from 1946 to 1953; maintained time in private practice in psychiatry; and acted as consultant to the Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Administration, United States Army, and United States Navy. This collection contains personal and professional correspondence Hohman related to his time as a professor of psychiatry at Duke University. Major subjects include Duke University Medical Center, the Duke Department of Psychiatry, psychiatric practice, and people with disabilities. Materials range in date from 1945 to 1970.

Helen Rearden graduated from Duke University School of Nursing (DUSON) in 1947. Collection contains DUSON memorabilia. Types of materials include clippings, notes, printed materials, and artifacts. Materials date from 1944 to circa 1993.

The Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, established in 1994, focuses on understanding the brain and mind through research, clinical care, and education with the goal to help people with mental health challenges live their best life. Prior to this, the department originated as the Division of Neuropsychiatry in the Department of Medicine in 1933. In 1940 it became the Department of Neuropsychiatry, and in 1951 the name changed to the Department of Psychiatry. Contains administrative records of the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, as well as a small amount of portraits and scrapbooks. Materials range in date from 1944 to 1992.

The Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center became one of the nation's first cancer centers in December 1971 after the passage of the National Cancer Act. In 1973, the Duke Cancer Center was designated a cancer center by the National Cancer Institute. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, reprinted articles, grant materials, photographs, brochures, meeting agendas, photographic contact sheets, and videotapes. Major themes include the External Scientific Review Committee, the Cancer Center Advisory Committee, Cancer Center support grants and core grants, Oncology Recreation Therapy, the Take-A-Seat Gala and Auction, and the Duke Center for Living. Materials range in date from 1943 to 2011.

Malcolm P. Tyor (1923-2003) was chief of the Division of Gastroenterology at Duke University Medical Center for twenty years (1965-1985). His wife, Anne Bradfield Tyor (1925-2012), graduated from the Duke University School of Dietetics in 1946. This collection contains personal and professional correspondence, mailing lists and other materials for organizing class reunions, drafts of talks, film, photographs, certificates, and plaques. The bulk of the collection consists of the papers of Malcolm P. Tyor. Anne Bradfield Tyor is a correspondent and a subject of correspondence in the class reunion materials. Major subjects include the Duke University School of Medicine; Duke Medical Center; the Division of Gastroenterology; Tyor's extensive involvement in professional networks and organizations in gastroenterology, medical research; alumni of the Duke University School of Medicine; gastroenterologists who maintained professional connections with Malcolm P. Tyor; and reunion materials from members of the Duke University School of Medicine class of 1946. Materials range in date from 1943 to 2006.

Materials relate to the history and administration of Duke's Department of Health Administration, established in 1930 as the first graduate program in the nation for the training of hospital administrators. Contains newsletters, correspondence, meeting minutes, attendance and membership lists, reports, articles, studies, notes, course evaluations, agendas, bound oral history transcripts, curriculum vitae, financial records, invoices, event programs, program applications, course catalogs, and photographs. Materials range in date from 1943 to 1991.

This collection includes the report "Conscientious Objection and Clinical Care: A History of Civilian Public Service Camp No. 61 at Duke University, 1942-1946," by Louis E. Swanson and James F. Gifford, Jr. The collection also includes research materials used by Swanson and Gifford used to write the report, including issues of the Duke Civilian Public Service (C.P.S. Unit 61) publication "Service"; issues of the National Board for Religious Objectors publication "The Reporter"; an issue of the Mental Hygiene Program of Civilian Public Service publication "The Attendant"; a list of the members of C.P.S. Unit 61; and notes that appear to be made by Louis E. Swanson. Undated photographs of CPS men working are also included. Materials range in date from 1943 to 1984.

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.

The Department of Physical Therapy at Duke University was established by Helen Kaiser in 1943. In 1970, the program began awarding a Master of Science degree. In 2000, the department transferred from offering a master's degree to offering a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree. The collection contains photographs, faculty-student picnic invitations, anniversary buttons, and graduation programs. The photographs include images of students, facilities, and faculty, including Helen Kaiser. The buttons are from the 50th (1993) and 60th (2003) anniversaries of the program. Materials range in date from 1942 to 2006.

The International Correspondence Society of Allergists began in 1937 as a way to exchange technical information and experiences between allergists around the world. Contains correspondence and case reports discussing patient cases, new treatments, and professional development. Materials range in date from 1942 to 1966.

Gerhard Chester Henricksen (1907-1994), Duke University's assistant university treasurer during the 1940s, was responsible for coordinating funding and budget activities of Duke University Hospital. He was also an original member of the Accountants' 52 Club, which was organized for the national exchange of ideas, procedures, and techniques among the organization's hospital financial officers. Collection contains Henricksen's professional papers. It includes materials from the Accountants' 52 Club, the American Hospital Association, and the Southern Institute for Hospital Administrators, as well as Henricksen's own writings. Types of materials include brochures, conference proceedings, correspondence, reports, memoranda, printed materials, budgets, bulletins, and short writings. Materials range in date from 1947 to 1955.

Dr. Joseph B. Parker Jr., served in the medical corps of the United States Navy Reserve for four years during World War II. He first came to Duke University medical school to complete his psychiatric education. He went on to serve as an instructor of neuropsychiatry at Duke University from 1948 to 1949 and worked part time in child community clinics in North Carolina. He went on to become an assistant professor and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Tennessee from 1949 to 1953, where he was the director of the Child Guidance Clinic. Afterwards he served as Associate professor of psychiatry at Duke from 1953 to 1959 and developed a psychiatric service with training and research activities at the new V.A. Hospital. Dr. Parker left Duke in 1959 to serve as professor and chairman of the University of Kentucky's Department of Psychiatry. In 1970, Dr. Parker returned to Duke University Medical Center as a professor of psychiatry and remained in this position until his retirement and serving as professor emeritus.

Contains the personal and professional papers of William Longley (1928-1988), professor of anatomy at Duke University School of Medicine. Types of materials include correspondence, photographic materials, reprints, writings, manuscripts, drafts, clippings, printed materials, research notebooks, and grant materials. Major subjects include crystallography, focusing on the tobacco mosaic virus and insect flight muscle. Materials date from 1941 to 1987.

Kathryn Ann Decker graduated from the Duke University School of Nursing in 1943. Prior to her graduation, Decker joined the Duke Student Reserve for the American Red Cross in 1942 and also became one of the first members of Santa Filomena, a senior women's nursing honor society at Duke University, in 1943. This collection contains news clippings, newsletters, Duke bulletins, and an alumni register collected by Kathryn Ann Decker during her time as a student at Duke University School of Nursing, as well as after her graduation. A major subject of the materials is Duke student and alumni service in the United States Armed Forces. Materials range in date from 1941 to 1947.

Contains manuals and records pertaining to the administration of Duke Hospital. Types of materials include autopsy records, instruction sheets, and Social Services Department Manual. Materials date to 1940, with the bulk undated.

The annual student-faculty show is an entirely student-run production that offers a comedic view of the experiences of a medical student at Duke, usually parodying a popular musical or movie. Shows feature original songs and dances, student performances, and guest appearances by School of Medicine faculty. This collection contains digital and analog materials that feature scripts, cast lists, bulletins, programs, tickets, drafts, and lyrics from several of the student-faculty shows. Also contains audio and video recordings, photographs, and negatives for these productions. Materials date from 1940 to 2024.

The Department of Ophthalmology, established in 1965, began in 1930 as a division within the Department of Surgery. Divisions of the department include Comprehensive Ophthalmology, Cornea Service, Glaucoma, Neuro-Ophthalmology, Oculoplastics, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Research Division, and Vitreoretinal Service. This collection contains publications, administrative and departmental records, reprints by faculty and staff, research files and materials, alumni files, grant information, photographs, slides, negatives, audiovisual materials, and public relations materials. The materials date from 1940 to 2014. Materials range in date from 1940 to 2014.

Joseph C. Greenfield began his career at Duke in 1956, holding various positions at Duke University Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. His positions have included chief of Duke University Medical Center's Cardiology Division (1981-1989) and chairman of Duke University Medical Center's Department of Medicine (1983-1995). He became a James B. Duke Distinguished Professor in 1981. This collection contains correspondence, interviews, personal accounts, curriculum vitae, bibliographies, newsletters, mailing lists, mailing labels, manuscript pages, photographic materials, and publications written by or pertaining to Dr. Joseph C. Greenfield. Major subjects include the history of the Duke Division of Cardiology and the Chief Medical Residents for the Duke Department of Medicine. Materials range in date from 1940 to 2013.

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.

Contains the professional papers of Duke alumni, Arthur Allen Morris (1917-1997), founder and former president of the Neurosurgical Society of America. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, conference programs, proposals, newsletters, research materials, course notes, photographs, certificates, surgical tools, and abstracts. Materials range in date from 1940 to 1996.

Contains the professional papers of Henry Kamin, biochemist at Duke University Medical Center. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, committee materials, clippings, short writings, photographs, and memorabilia. Major subjects include Duke University, Medical Center, School of Medicine, and nutrition policy in the United States, flavins and flavoproteins, and metabolism. Materials range in date from 1940 to 1988 (bulk 1960-1988).

Contains the professional papers of Robert (Bob) L. Blake, Coordinator of the Department of Medical Illustration in the Duke University School of Medicine. Types of materials include pen and ink drawings, pencil sketches, watercolors, illustrations of various sizes, plates, programs, clippings, pamphlets, brochures, cards, photographic materials, and commercially published works. Major subjects include Duke University School of Medicine, Civilian Public Service Unit No. 61, conscientious objectors during World War II, and medical illustration. Materials range in date from 1940 to 1988.

Contains the professional papers of R. Frederick Becker (1912-2007), professor of anatomy at Duke University Medical School. Types of materials include personal and professional correspondence, reprints, clippings, minutes, programs, brochures, manuals, reports, notes, writings by Becker and his students, speeches, certificates, personnel materials, academic records, course materials, financial statements, grant applications, expenditure reports, and lab notebooks belonging to Becker. Materials date from 1940 to 1969.

Helen Ada (Bunny) Greenlee Haberneck (1922-2017) graduated from Duke University School of Nursing in 1943. Contains Haberneck's School of Nursing uniform, nursing caps, aprons, 2 sets of wrist cuffs, 2 sashes, a bib, a letter, biographical information, clippings, a "Whitecaps" newsletter, and a notebook. Materials date to 1940-1943, circa 1943, 1993, undated.

Mary Jane Byrd Penland (1924-1991) was one of the first students to enter the advanced degree program at Duke University's School of Nursing. She received her BS in Nursing Education in 1945. Penland worked as registered nurse at several hospitals, including the University of Chicago Clinics and the Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina. She also served as an instructor of nursing and assistant administrator of nursing at the Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, Virginia from 1962 until her retirement in 1977. This collection contains materials from Penland's time as a student at Duke University School of Nursing. Types of materials include publications related to nursing and Duke University and an invitation and program for capping exercises. Materials date from 1940 to 1942.

Contains the collected materials of the Department of Arts & Health at Duke, a department established in 1978 to promote the role of the arts and humanities in healthcare at Duke Hospital. Types of materials include administrative files, grant reports, subject files, research project files, articles, publications, clippings, scrapbooks, photographs, slides, video tapes, audio cassette tapes, exhibit material, exhibit budgets, artwork, artifacts, personal gift requests and records, performance programs, notes, correspondence, and administrative materials. Major subjects include arts and healthcare as a discipline, cultural arts programming undertaken at Duke Hospital, funding and grant sources, and the "Duke Employee Shows." Materials range in date from 1939 to 2014.