Edward C. Halperin Papers

Edward HalperinThe Duke University Medical Center Archives is happy to announce that new additions to the Edward C. Halperin Papers are open for research. Halperin served on the Duke faculty for twenty-three years as a professor and chairperson of the Department of Radiation Oncology, vice dean of the School of Medicine, and associate vice chancellor. Types of materials in this collection include his correspondence, grant applications, a cassette tape, articles, and reports. The majority of these materials relate to Halperin’s extensive research and writings on ethics and the history of racial, religious, and gender discrimination in medicine and higher education. This collection includes research materials from 1961 and 1973, but the bulk of the collection dates from 1986 to 2009.

Subjects touched upon in Halperin’s papers include the history of antisemitism in early United States medical education and the desegregation of North Carolina hospitals and medical societies. The writings and research materials in this collection also provide insight into the history of Duke University Medical Center itself, such as the development of its medical curriculum and the Bell Building’s complicated journey to becoming the first permanently desegregated building at the institution. These materials include three first-hand accounts that offer unique perspectives on this important moment in the university’s history. This collection is an excellent resource for researchers interested in exploring the history of Duke University Medical Center or the social history of medicine and education in general. 

To learn more about these materials, visit the finding aid or contact the archives staff.

This blog was contributed by Archives Intern McKenzie Long.