Dr. Andrew S. Wechsler, MD, emeritus professor in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine, was the Stanley K. Brockman Professor and Chairman of the Department of from 1998 to 2011. Wechsler completed his Residency in General and Thoracic Surgery at Duke University Medical Center (1973) and afterwards joined the faculty (1974-1988). This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on June 18, 2019 by Emily Stewart as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview, Wechsler discusses his early life, education, decision to enter the medical profession, decision to switch from cardiology to cardiac surgery, experiences with Sabiston as a resident and faculty member at Duke, what is was like to move from the North to the South in the seventies, Sabiston's rigid but principled manner, experiences offered to him because of Sabiston's support, reestablishing the cardiac surgery program at the Durham VA, leaving Duke to become a professor and chair in the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Virginia, and other memories of Sabiston and his wife, Aggie.
Dr. Courtney M. Townsend Jr., MD, is the Robertson-Poth Distinguished Chair in General Surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB). He is a highly esteemed surgical educator who is also a Professor of Surgery, Professor of Physicians Assistants Studies, and graduate faculty in the Cell Biology Program. Townsend also served as the Editor-In-Chief of the "Sabiston Textbook for Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice" for the 16th through 20th editions. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on January 20, 2022 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview, Townsend discusses his background; his decision to become a surgeon; his education and training; his time in the Navy, becoming the Editor-In-Chief for the "Textbook of Surgery" after Sabiston, as well as his experiences in that role; Sabiston's influence on the field of surgery; how Townsend shaped surgical resident education at his institution; the importance of developing a workforce that looks like the population being served; and his memories of Sabiston and his wife Agnes (Aggie) Barden Sabiston.
Dani Bolognesi received his PhD from Duke in virology in 1967, and he joined the faculty at Duke as an Assistant Professor in Virology in the Department of Surgery in 1971 and became an Associate Professor of Surgery in 1972. Bolognesi held other positions at Duke: Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery (1994-1999), Professor of Virology in the Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology (2001-2002), Professor of Virology in the Department of Microbiology (1994-2002), Professor of Surgery (1977-2002), and Professor Emeritus of Surgery (2002-present). While at Duke, his laboratory did the early work on identifying anti-HIV activity in what would become AZT, the first drug developed against the disease. This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on September 29, 1994 by Dr. James Gifford and May 29, 2019 by Taylor Patterson and is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the June 29, 1994 interview, Bolognesi discusses his educational background; working with Dr. Joseph Beard at Duke; and his research, particularly the work of the laboratory he directed. In the May 29, 2019 interview, Bolognesi discusses his early life and education; his studies and work at Duke, where he was a student under Dr. Joseph Beard; professional and personal memories of Dr. David Sabiston, including Sabiston's interest in grants; Sabiston's stoke; Sabiston's Christmas parties; translational research; the Department of Surgery; and Bolognesi's HIV research.
Dr. Fred A. Crawford, MD, attended Duke University for undergraduate and Duke University School of Medicine for medical school. Crawford's residency at Duke was interrupted by the Vietnam War, where he served in the United States Army as a surgeon. Afterwards, he returned to Duke and completed his residency. Crawford served as Chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Mississippi (1976-1979) and Professor and Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina (1979-2009). This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on May 22, 2019 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview Crawford discusses his early life and education, his experience at Duke University and Duke University School of Medicine, working for Dr. Will C. Sealy, memories of Dr. David and Agnes Sabiston, his residency, leaving his residency at Duke to serve in the Army during the Vietnam War, and his career after Duke at the University of Mississippi and the Medical University of South Carolina as a thoracic surgeon.
J. Michael Slaughter attended Duke University for undergraduate, graduating circa 1975. After graduation, he worked in Dr. Dani Bolognesi's laboratory, overseeing surgical admissions and assignment of the operating rooms for about 3 years, and as the business manager for the Department of Surgery for 20 years under Dr. David Sabiston. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on November 6, 2019 by Emily Stewart as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview Slaughter discusses his early life and education; memories of Dr. David and Agnes Sabiston; and working as the business manager for Duke Department of Surgery and all the duties that came along with that job, including managing payroll and planning all departmental social functions.
John Robinette, a Duke University Hospital administrator, was recruited to Duke University by then Chancellor, Dr. William Anlyan, to become his administrative assistant after meeting him at an Association of American Medical Colleges meeting. This was the start of Robinette's long career at Duke that saw him move in the role of a hospital administrator for Duke University Hospital. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on October 22, 2019 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview, Robinette discusses his education; career at Duke, starting as an administrative assistant for Dr. William Anlyan and eventually moving into the role of a hospital administrator; his role in building the new Duke Hospital; the Private Diagnostic Clinic (PDC); working with Sabiston in the role of an administrator; and personal memories of Sabiston.
Dr. Joseph (Jerry) Gerald Reves, MD, joined Duke in 1984 and help the following positions: Chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia at Duke, founding director of the Duke Heart Center, and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology. He left Duke in 2001 to become the Dean and Vice President for Medical Affairs at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). This collection contains 2 oral history interviews conducted on March 21, 1995 by Dr. James Gifford and July 30, 2019 by Emily Stewart and is part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the March 21, 1995 interview, Reves discusses his educational background; how he became in interested in the field of medicine; his medical school experience at the Medical College of South Carolina (now the Medical University of South Carolina); what drew him to anesthesiology; how surgery and anesthesiology work in concert together; the history of anesthesiology; why he came to Duke and his experiences while at Duke with Sabiston and his philosophy of excellence in patient care, excellence in teaching, and the genesis of new knowledge created by scientific inquiry and clinical investigation, as well as starting the Heart Center, the cardiac database, the anesthesiology residency program, and the structure of the Duke University School of Medicine. In the July 30, 2019 interview, Reves discusses his education; how he became interested in a career in medicine; how he came to Duke; Sabiston's unwavering support for research; his many positions at Duke; leaving Duke for MUSC, and his memories of his professional relationship with Sabiston, as well as their personal friendship.
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. 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.
Dr. Walter J. Pories, MD, Professor of Surgery, Biochemistry and Kinesiology at East Carolina University is a graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, and received his MD with Honor at the University of Rochester where he also completed his surgical training in general and cardio-thoracic surgery. He served on the faculties of the University of Rochester, Case Western Reserve and East Carolina University where he served as the founding Chairman of Surgery for 19 years. He is currently the Director of the Bariatric Surgery Research Group. This collection contains 1 oral history interview conducted on July 30, 2020 by Taylor Patterson as part of the Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project. In the interview, Pories discusses his early life; education; decision to enter the medical profession; his career; how Sabiston helped him recruit for the Department of Surgery at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (ECU) when it first started; Sabiston's contributions to the field of surgery through his skill as a surgeon, training surgeons, and his leadership in the American College of Surgeons; and other memories of Sabiston and his wife, Aggie.