Duke Medical Center Archives Blog Category: Collection Highlights

Recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month at the Archives
Posted On: September 16, 2024 by Rebecca Williams

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

Duke NUS sign

Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School
Posted On: May 24, 2024 by Rebecca Williams

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

Duke Nursing magazine cover

Publications Available on MEDSpace
Posted On: March 14, 2024 by Rebecca Williams

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.

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.

Duke COVID-19 website screenshot

Virtual COVID-19 Towns Halls
Posted On: April 27, 2022 by Rebecca Williams

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke Health assembled a COVID-19 Response Team (now named Duke Health Leadership). Along with Duke Health Nursing, they began to hold virtual town halls where they discussed Duke Health’s and Duke Nursing’s clinical response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Each town hall had a theme, panelists, and a Q&A session for participants. Some themes included: COVID-19 patient surge preparations, COVID-19 testing, nursing issues, PPE, COVID-19 patient care, clinical and operations updates, COVID-19 vaccine, return to school, Duke Health’s voter registration and turnout initiative for the 2020 elections, and Moments to Movement (Duke Health’s collective stand against systemic racism and injustice). These videos are available for viewing as a continuing… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

David C. Sabiston

Dr. David Sabiston Oral History Project at the Medical Center Archives
Posted On: March 16, 2022 by Rebecca Williams

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

Prentiss Lee Harrison

Black History Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives
Posted On: February 25, 2022 by Rebecca Williams

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

Prentiss Lee Harrison

Black History Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives
Posted On: February 25, 2022 by Rebecca Williams

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

Michelle Winn and Nancy Allen

Women in Duke Health Oral Histories at the Medical Center Archives
Posted On: January 24, 2022 by Rebecca Williams

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 Academic… MORE

Category: Collection Highlights

The Duke University Medical Center Archives (DUMCA) actively collects the official records of the DUMC and DUHS departments and divisions, including a variety of materials that provide evidence of business, interests, and activities through the years. In doing so, the DUMCA serves as the institutional memory of the DUMC and DUHS by collecting, preserving, and making accessible materials that provide evidence of day to operations. Guided by our collection development policy, we strive to document the intellectual, administrative, social, cultural, and visual history of the DUMC and DUHS in order to provide evidence of past actions and contribute to an understanding of the structure and history of the DUMC and DUHS. See below for a listing of materials added to the DUMCA. The types of… MORE

Category: News, Collection Highlights

The Duke University Medical Center Archives (DUMCA) actively collects the official records of the DUMC and DUHS departments and divisions, including a variety of materials that provide evidence of business, interests, and activities through the years. In doing so, the DUMCA serves as the institutional memory of the DUMC and DUHS by collecting, preserving, and making accessible materials that provide evidence of day to operations. Guided by our collection development policy, we strive to document the intellectual, administrative, social, cultural, and visual history of the DUMC and DUHS in order to provide evidence of past actions and contribute to an understanding of the structure and history of the DUMC and DUHS. See below for a listing of materials added to the DUMCA. The types of… MORE

Category: News, Collection Highlights

Dr. Charles Johnson

Remembering Dr. Charles Johnson
Posted On: December 17, 2021 by Rebecca Williams

The Duke Community was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Charles Johnson. He joined Duke in 1970 as the first Black faculty member in the School of Medicine and first Black physician on the faculty of Duke University. He was an important and vital pioneer at the School of Medicine.

In a 1990 article, the late Dr. Onye Akwari, the first Black professor of surgery, commented that “I don’t think people realize what Charlie has done in this institution. Charlie and Jim Carter [a psychiatrist who joined the faculty in 1971] were the initial black physicians in the institution, and these were very difficult days. They have served as the shields behind… MORE

Category: News, Collection Highlights

Dr. Charles Johnson

Remembering Dr. Charles Johnson
Posted On: December 17, 2021 by Rebecca Williams

The Duke Community was saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Charles Johnson. He joined Duke in 1970 as the first Black faculty member in the School of Medicine and first Black physician on the faculty of Duke University. He was an important and vital pioneer at the School of Medicine.

In a 1990 article, the late Dr. Onye Akwari, the first Black professor of surgery, commented that “I don’t think people realize what Charlie has done in this institution. Charlie and Jim Carter [a psychiatrist who joined the faculty in 1971] were the initial black physicians in the institution, and these were very difficult days. They have served as the shields behind… MORE

Category: News, Collection Highlights