Duke Medical Center Archives Blog Category: Collection Highlights

Duke became more interested in global health issues following World War II. It saw an opportunity to learn more about cultural and medical practices in developing countries, to influence physicians through training, and to provide its expertise. In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, the Medical Center Archives wishes to highlight a few programs and projects that Duke physicians undertook in several Latin American countries.

Starting in 1941, Duke began offering post-doctoral training to physicians from outside of the United States. The Rockefeller Foundation, the Institute of Inter-American Affairs, the Pan American Sanitary Bureau, as well as the U.S. Department of State, were the primary… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

October 6-12 is PA Week! This week is a time to celebrate physician assistants (PA), the care provided by PAs, and the legacy of the profession. The birthplace of the profession was here at Duke. The first PA program was established in 1965 at Duke thanks to the efforts of Dr. Eugene Stead, then Chairman of Duke’s Department of Medicine. The program aimed to address the problem of the physician shortage, particularly in rural areas throughout North Carolina. While the initial recruitment was targeted at ex-military corpsmen who possessed some medical experience, Duke’s PA program soon attracted a wide range of applicants. Today there are nearly 190,000 PAs practicing in the US. The success of the profession during the second… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

Duke Hospital opened for patients on July 21, 1930. Pictured below is the staff of the Duke University School of Medicine, Nursing, and Dietetics and Duke Hospital two days before the opening.

F. Ross Porter was one of Duke Hospital's first administrative interns when the hospital opened in 1930. In 1932 he was appointed assistant superintendent of Duke Hospital, and in 1933 he was certified in hospital administration. He served at Duke as professor of hospital administration until 1960. On the 25th anniversary of the hospital, Porter shared his remembrances in the August 1955 issue of the Intercom. He writes: 

“Contrary to our expectations that the Hospital wards could be opened… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

We have many spaces to sit and work in the library! We recently highlighted the Richmond House Room as a spot for library time travel and today we want to share some more information about another place in the library that might make you feel as you have traveled back in time! In the stairwell landing between levels 2 and 3 of the library is an interesting two-sided desk that has a long history at Duke.

Before it came to Duke, it was the property of the Reverend Henry Montagu Butler, D.D., headmaster of Harrow School (1859-1885), dean of Gloucester (1885-1886); master of Trinity College, Cambridge (1886-1918); and vice chancellor of Cambridge University (1889-1890). He used this desk at Harrow and later in… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

March is Women’s History Month! Learn more about Duke history by checking out our online exhibit: Women in Duke Health.

This exhibit highlights women in multiple fields at Duke, many of which were pioneers or firsts in their disciplines. It looks at their stories and the context in which those stories took place through oral histories. We encourage you to listen to the recordings or read the transcripts of these women talking about their experiences.  
Further historical perspective is presented through individual profiles and interviews, a general timeline of events, and background interviews conducted with people who have a longtime view of Duke Medicine.

View the online… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month or Latinx Heritage Month. The theme of this year’s celebrations at Duke is “Our Roots, Our Future.” As custodians of institutional history, we particularly want to highlight the contributions of the Latinx community throughout the history of Duke Health. We invite you to check out some of the resources below from our Archives collections to learn more this month!

Alejandro Barbagelata Oral History Interview 
Dr.… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

In recognition of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, the Medical Center Archives is highlighting our materials related to the Duke-National University of Singapore (Duke-NUS) Graduate Medical School.  This institution combines Duke’s research-focused medical curriculum with Singapore’s heavy investment in the biomedical sciences. The history of Duke-NUS reflects long-lasting collaboration between Asian, American, and Asian American  education professionals, stretching back to the 1980s.

The story of Duke-NUS begins with Duke University’s Asian and Pacific Studies Institute (APSI), an… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

MEDSpace is the Duke University Medical Center Archives’ Digital Repository. Digital repositories are “the technical infrastructure, services, and resources for the storage and management of digital information” (Society of American Archivist’s Dictionary of Archives Terminology).

Did you know that MEDSpace contains numerous publications from across Duke Health, the School of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and other affiliated programs? See below of a listing of some of the publications available to peruse. While some of the publications are now defunct, others are updated as new publications become available.

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  Category: Collection Highlights

Starting in August 2021, we’ve highlighted the Medical Center Archives’ rich oral history collection of over 350 interviews spanning from the 1960s to present day. These oral histories provide a space for the medical center’s history to be told in the words of the individuals who witnessed and participated in that history. Capturing these interviews ensures that the voices and memories of people, communities, and participants are added to the historical record.

In Part 8 of this series, we want to introduce you to our newest group of oral histories documenting Duke’s involvement with maternal health in Durham from the late 1990s and into the 21st century through interviews with members of the Duke Midwifery Service (DMS) and the Durham County Health Department. These oral… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

Over the past year, we’ve highlighted the Medical Center Archives’ rich oral history collection of over 350 interviews spanning from the 1960s to present day. In Part 6 of this series, we revisit the previous pieces (see below) and remind readers that while this series is over, the Archives’ Oral History Program continues to grow as we add more oral histories interviews to capture the medical center’s history in the words of the individuals who witnessed and participated in that history. Part 1: “Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives"This article outlined what an oral history is and the types of oral histories held at the Medical Center Archives. Part 2:… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

This is Part 5 of a multi part series on oral histories at the Medical Center Archives.

• Part 1 “Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” outlines what an oral history is and the types of oral histories held at the Medical Center Archives.
• Part 2 “Women in Duke Health Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” highlights the oral history interviews with Duke women and showcases an online exhibit about these interviews.
• Part 3… MORE

  Category: Collection Highlights

This is Part 4 of a multi part series on oral histories at the Medical Center Archives.

• Part 1 “Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” outlines what an oral history is and the types of oral histories held at the Medical Center Archives.
• Part 2 “Women in Duke Health Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” highlights the oral history interviews with Duke women and showcases an online exhibit about these interviews.
• Part 3… MORE

  Category: Collection Highlights

This is Part 3 of a multi part series on oral histories at the Medical Center Archives. Part 1 “Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” outlines what an oral history is and the types of oral histories held at the Medical Center Archives. Part 2 “Women in Duke Health Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” highlights the oral history interviews with Duke women and showcases an online exhibit about these interviews.  This month, we are highlighting the oral history interviews in our collection that… MORE

Category: News, Collection Highlights

This is Part 3 of a multi part series on oral histories at the Medical Center Archives. Part 1 “Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” outlines what an oral history is and the types of oral histories held at the Medical Center Archives. Part 2 “Women in Duke Health Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” highlights the oral history interviews with Duke women and showcases an online exhibit about these interviews.  This month, we are highlighting the oral history interviews in our collection that… MORE

Category: News, Collection Highlights

This is Part 2 of a multi part series on oral histories at the Medical Center Archives. Part 1 “Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives” outlines what an oral history is and the types of oral histories held at the Medical Center Archives.

An oral history is an interview that records an individual’s personal recollections of the past and historical events. The Women in Duke Health oral history project began in the fall of 2006, when Jessica Roseberry, who at the time was the Oral History Program Coordinator at the Medical Center Archives, was approached by Dr. Ann Brown, Associate Vice Dean for Faculty Development; Director, Duke… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights