Collections

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.

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. This collection contains 8 oral history interviews. The interviews conducted on December 14, 1990; March 23, 1993; April 22, 1994; and April 28, 1995 were done by Dr. James Gifford. The April 28, 1995 interview is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. The interviews conducted on March 6, 2003; December 16, 2003; January 16, 2004; and February 23, 2004 were done by Walter E. Campbell for the book "Foundations for Excellence: 75 Years of Duke Medicine". The interview contacted on July 22, 2019 by Dr. Justin Barr is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interviews, Snyderman discusses his life leading up to the time he spent at the National Institutes of Health, his time at Genentech, accepting the chancellor position at Duke, Duke Medical Center's 75th anniversary, his tenure as chancellor, his background, and his memories of Sabiston.

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 collected papers of Snyderman. Materials document Snyderman's professional appointments at both Duke University and Genentech, Inc., a biomedical technology firm in San Francisco, California. The papers consist of publications, manuscript materials, research materials, collected publications and citations, presentations and related correspondence, travel files, Genentech, Inc. research and administrative materials, subject files, business records from Snyderman's role as Duke's Chancellor for Health Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) committee and working group files, and papers from other committees and professional organizations of which Snyderman was a member. Major subjects in this collection include Snyderman's research in inflammation, immunology, and rheumatology; health care reform; medical administration and the role of the academic health center; and integrative and prospective medicine. Materials range in date from 1899 to 2006 with the bulk of the materials dating from 1968 to 2006.

Contains the personal and professional papers of Ray Everett Brown (1913-1974), hospital administrator and educator on hospital administration at several institutions, including the University of Chicago, Duke University, Harvard University, and Northwestern University. Types of materials include correspondence, conference brochures, speeches, clippings, photographs, reports, minutes, certificates, agendas, contracts, invoices, financial statements, expense reports, newsletters, book reviews, reprints, publication drafts, notes, academic records, resumes, and ephemera. Major subjects include hospital administration and administrative education. Materials range in date from 1926 to 1974.

This collection was created to house artifacts and other Duke Health memorabilia. The materials in this collection are from numerous other collections held by the Duke University Medical Center Archives. Includes various artifacts documenting Duke Health. Materials date from 1955 to 2024, but the bulk of the items are undated.

Rebecca Clayton worked as Dr. Grace Kerby's secretary in Duke University's Department of Medicine from the 1960s until Kerby's retirement. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on March 15, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry. In this interview, Clayton discusses beginning work as the secretary for Kerby, in 1960; being pregnant and delivering her first child; there being no maternity leave policy; her care for Kerby after Kerby's retirement; Kerby's attention to detail; Kerby's very private nature; other elements of Kerby's character; Kerby's dedication to her work; Kerby's work on house staff schedules and Clayton's assistance to Kerby in this work; Kerby's assistance to then-Department of Medicine chair, Dr. Eugene Stead; Bess Cebe, Stead's assistant; Clayton's close relationship with Kerby; the interactions of secretaries in the department; Kerby's materials that Clayton has; Kerby upon retirement; Clayton's workload under Kerby; equipment Clayton used at the time; the proportion of work dedicated to house staff schedules; Kerby's privacy about her own schedule; and Clayton's previous work.

Dr. Rebecca H Buckley was named the J. Buren Sidbury Professor of Pediatrics in 1979, making her the first female at Duke Medical School to be given a distinguished professorship. Her accomplishments include extensive work with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on February 19, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry. In this interview, Buckley discusses her experiences as a woman within the Division of Pediatric Allergy in the Department of Pediatrics, and SCID.

Rebecca Reyes, a social worker, had her journey shaped by her vibrant Hispanic heritage and a deep-rooted commitment to making a positive impact in her community. Reyes witnessed, firsthand, the challenges faced by marginalized groups, fueling her passion for social change from an early age. Raised in a Presbyterian household, she learned the values of compassion, service, and the importance of education, instilled in her by her family. In 1979, Reyes made history as the first Hispanic woman ordained in the Presbyterian Church, a monumental achievement that marked the beginning of her lifelong dedication to social justice. Reyes' career spanned working with the Presbyterian Church to serving as a campus minister at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and, in 2000, she played a pivotal role in establishing Latino Health Services at Duke University, recognizing the urgent need for culturally competent healthcare for immigrant communities. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on January 25, 2024 by Fiorella Orozco as part of the Bass Connections Agents of Change Oral History Project. In the interview, Reyes explores her early life and career, and her role as an activist and social worker at Duke Health. The themes of this interview include heath disparities, community outreach, social work, and Latino health.

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.

Dr. Richard David Weiner, MD, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, received his training and spent the bulk of his career as a psychiatrist and faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke. Weiner's research interests are in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and is considered a world authority on this treatment modality, particularly in terms of research to optimize safely and efficacy of the equipment used to deliver ECT, as well as regulation of these devices by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Includes materials documenting Weiner's work with ECT at Duke, as well as national activities in this area. Types of materials include publications, publicity, clippings, conference proceedings, reports, reprints, administrative records, photographic materials, presentations, ECT records, FDA materials, and legal materials. Materials date from 1933 to 2022.

Dr. Richard Lucas McCann, MD, a vascular surgeon, Duke Professor of Surgery, and Duke Surgery Master Surgeon, joined Duke in 1974 as a Resident and joined the faculty in 1983 after completing his general surgery training. McCann is recognized as a superb surgeon in every domain. Technically, he mastered the anatomical exposure of vascular structures in all areas of the body with exceptional technical speed and efficiency. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on July 12, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford and April 29, 2020 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the July 14, 1994 interview, McCann discusses the origins and work of the Vascular Surgery Lab, his background, and his research interests. In the April 29, 2020 interview, McCann discusses his early life, education, decision to enter the medical profession, how he came to Duke, meeting Sabiston for the first at his interview to be a Resident, Sabiston's Monday Conferences and his teaching method, Sabiston's traditions, how Sabiston kept track of all his Residents, and other memories of Sabiston and his wife, Aggie.

Contains the professional papers of Richard Sherman Lyman (1891-1959), professor of neuropsychiatry at Duke University from 1941 to 1951. Types of materials include correspondence, subject files, memoranda, reports, budgets, course and teaching materials, and schedules. Major subjects include Duke Hospital, Duke University Medical Center, mental health agencies in North Carolina, mental health treatment, psychiatry, neurology, neuropsychology, nurse training programs, and treatment of soldiers and veterans of World War II. Materials range in date from 1927 to 1957.

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.

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. Robert (Bob) H. Jones. MD (1940-2022) completed his surgical residency at Duke in 1975. Afterwards, he joined the faculty of the Department of Surgery where he remained until he retired in 2014 as the Mary and Deryl Hart Distinguished Professor of Surgery. During his career, Jones was a prolific cardiothoracic surgeon performing thousands of Coronary Artery Bypass operations, a clinical investigator, and a medical educator. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted at separate times. Interviews were conducted on July 14, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford and April 26, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry. In the 1994 interview, which is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project, Jones discusses his career, research interests, working for and with Sabiston, the origins and development of his lab, as well we the current and future status of his field. In the 2007 interview, which is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project, Jones reflects on his work as a cardiovascular surgeon, his research, experiences with Sabiston, and the Duke Cardiovascular Databank.

Contains professional papers of Robert J. Lefkowitz, James B. Duke Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator in the Department of Biochemistry at Duke University Medical Center. Types of materials include travel and conference materials, speeches, memoranda, committee materials, awards and honors, former employee files, old equipment files, grant materials, alumni files, material transfer agreements, mice invoices, research, and digital files. Major subjects include Duke University Department of Biochemistry, Duke University School of Medicine, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Materials range in date from 1962 to 2023.

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, carbon dust drawings, scratchboard engravings, pen trials, watercolors, acrylic paintings, collage, illustrations of various sizes, hand lettering and calligraphy, prints, plates, programs, clippings, pamphlets, brochures, cards, photographic materials, scrapbooks, and commercially published works. Major subjects include Duke University School of Medicine, Civilian Public Service Unit #61, conscientious objectors during World War II, and medical and architectural illustration. Materials range in date from 1943 to 2005.

Contains the professional papers of Robert L. Hill (1928-2012), professor and chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at Duke University Medical School. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, reprints, minutes, proposals, brochures, clippings, handwritten notes, budgets, contracts, drafts, and CVs. Major subjects include the American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB), the American Society for Biological Chemists (ASBC), Duke Program to Strengthen Medical Science Education (PSME), and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Materials date from 1971 to 1983.

Contains the professional papers of Robert Martin Biddle (1913-2000), medical student and resident at Duke Medical School and Hospital from 1935 to 1943. Types of materials include printed materials and clinical notes from Biddle's time at Duke and Union Memorial Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. Materials date from 1924 to 1941.

Robert M. Califf attended Duke University School of Medicine, and he completed his residency in internal medicine at University of California-San Francisco and a fellowship at Duke in cardiology. His early faculty appointments at Duke corresponded with his time as Director of the Cardiac Care Unit. Califf spent the majority of his career at Duke University. Most recently, he was Vice Chancellor for Health Data Science; Donald F. Fortin, MD Professor of Cardiology; and Director, Duke Forge. Under the Obama administration, he served as Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (2015-2016), and was Commissioner of Food and Drugs (2016 to 2017). In November 2019, he left Duke for Alphabet. Califf is a prolific researcher in the areas of improving health outcomes, cardiovascular medicine, quality of care, and the clinical research enterprise. Califf is also pioneer of clinical trial research methods, and solidified infrastructure for clinical trials at Duke by founding the Duke Clinical Research Institute. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted at separate times. Interviews were conducted on June 11, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry and October 18, 2019 by Josephine McRobbie. In the 2007 interview, Califf discusses how he entered the field of cardiology, medical school experiences, his career at Duke, and the evolution of the cardiology databank into the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI). In the 2019 interview, Califf discusses his upbringing in South Carolina; his formation as a cardiologist; his work as a clinician, researcher, and administrator at Duke; and his 2016-2017 tenure as Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Major topics include advances in cardiology, developments in clinical trial research, leadership, and mentorship.

Dr. Robert (Bob) P. Drucker, MD, Professor of Pediatric and Associate Dean for Medical Education in the Duke University School of Medicine, centered his clinical work in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. Previously, he was Director of Pediatric Student Education and Associate Director for Graduate Pediatric Education. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on April 22, 2022 by Josephine McRobbie. In the 2022 interview, Drucker discusses his background, work as an advisory dean, the impact of COVID-19 on medical education, and his experiences working in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. The themes of this interview includes pediatrics, medical education, and careers in medicine.

Dr. Rodger Alan Liddle, MD, is a gastroenterologist with a research focus on GI hormones. He first came to Duke in 1988 as chief of the GI section at the Durham VA Medical Center. During his time at Duke and the VA, Liddle maintained a focus on conducting and guiding laboratory research, while also serving as an administrator, instructor, and clinician. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on February 24, 2021 by Joseph O'Connell as part of the Department of Medicine's Oral History Project. In the interview, Liddle discusses his research in measuring CCK (cholecystokinin, a gut hormone). "At that time there was no good assay for measlevels, his thoughts on connections between enteroendocrine cells and the nervous system, and conducting laboratory research during the COVID-19 pandemic. The themes of this interview includes gastroenterology, academic medical research, the social life of medicine, and medical training.

Contains the professional and personal papers of Roger Denio Baker (1902-1994), an original faculty member at the Duke University School of Medicine and professor of pathology. Types of materials include journals, diaries, day planners, manuscripts, drafts, reprints, correspondence, photographs, notes, bound volumes, lab notebooks, brochures, clippings, certificates, correspondence, newsletters, sketches, and programs pertaining to Baker's education, teaching, and research. Materials date from 1912 to 1993.

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 the professional papers of Roger E. McLendon (1957-), Professor of Pathology and Director of the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center Tissue Bank at Duke University Medical Center. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, case files, CVs, manuscript materials, drafts, reprints, handwritten notes, abstracts, and programs, pertaining to his career at Duke. Materials date from 1981 to 1993.

Roger J. Porter (1942- ) graduated from Duke University School of Medicine (DUSOM) in 1968. Porter has worked as a consultant to academia and to the pharmaceutical industry, primarily in the development of anti-seizure drugs. He is also an Adjunct Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Services. Contains Porter's medical graduation robe worn when he graduated from DUSOM. Robe dates to 1968.

Dr. Ronald J. Weigel, MD, PhD, MBA, earned his undergraduate and masters in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He received his medical degree from Yale University School of Medicine and a doctoral degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from the Yale University Graduate School. He received his surgical training at Duke University Medical Center completing his internship, a postdoctoral fellowship, and residency at Duke; he was Chief Resident for Duke Surgery in 1992. He earned his master of business administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Weigel joined the faculty at the University of Iowa's Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine in 2005 where he is a professor of surgical oncology and endocrine surgery, biochemistry, anatomy and cell biology, and molecular physiology and biophysics and the chair of the Department of Surgery. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on May 29, 2019 by Emily Stewart as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview Weigel discusses his early life, education, his decision to become a doctor, medical school and his PhD from Yale, his decision to pursue surgery, his decision to come to Duke for his residency, memories of Dr. Sabiston, experiences being a surgery intern at Duke, using Sabiston as his example for how to be a mentor, his experience being Sabiston's Chief Resident in 1992, how Sabiston supported African Americans and women in the Department of Surgery, how Sabiston interacted with patients, Sabiston's holiday parties, and his career after Duke.

Root Causes, a student group first organized in 2016, was created by health professionals to support the sustainable and humane production of food in combination with access to healthy food. Contains the group's administrative files. Materials date from 2017 to 2022.

Contains the professional papers of Roscoe R. Robinson (1929-2004), professor, associate vice president, and chief executive officer of Duke University Medical Center and the director of the Division of Nephrology. Types of materials include correspondence, reports, minutes, reprints, newsletters, clippings, programs, drafts, news releases, agendas, notes, and financial materials. Major subjects include Sea Level Hospital and hospital administration. Materials date from 1960 to 1978.

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.

Dr. Ross M. Ungerleider, MD, MBA, is a surgeon, researcher, author, public speaker, surgical educator, and coach. He completed his residency in General and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, joining the faculty in 1987 where he rose to tenured professor by 1996. In addition to this, he also held the roles of Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, Surgical Director and co-founder of Pediatric and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, and Surgical Director and founder of the EMCO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) program. He remained at Duke until 2001 when he left to help build children's heart programs and teach leadership and teamwork at numerous other medical institutions. He is recognized for pioneering the use of echocardiography in the operating room to evaluate the heart anatomy at the time of repair, and to assess the adequacy of the repair prior to the patient leaving the operating room, providing care for more than 7,000 hearts of infants and children with congenital heart disease. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on July 22, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford. In this interview, which is included in the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project, Ungerleider discusses his personal background, education and surgical training, research experiences at Duke and the research being done in his laboratory, the importance of the research work done in laboratories as a means to teach the next generation of doctors, building the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenator) Programs at Duke, and how Sabiston's leadership of the Department of Surgery created an environment that promoted academic surgery that attracted excellent residents.

R. Sanders Williams is dean of the Duke University School of Medicine.