Duke Medical Center Archive Blog

The Medical Center Library & Archives announces the debut of the newly redesigned and updated online exhibit of the Duke Poison Control Center: A Retrospective Exhibit. The exhibit conveys the profound impact of the Duke Poison Control Center from 1954-1995. From the design of the safety cap to community outreach and education, the Duke Center has always been at the forefront of poison prevention and safety issues, raising awareness throughout the world. Focused around the concept, "Is There a Killer in Your Medicine Chest?" the online exhibit includes sections on the Poison Epidemic, Innovations for Safety, and National Advocacy. In addition, there is a timeline of events and biographies and oral… MORE

Category: News

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

The Duke University Medical Center Archives is happy to announce that the Duke Midwifery Service Records are processed and open for research. The collection includes but is not limited to the administrative records, birth logs, bilingual (English and Spanish) curriculum materials for classes on pregnancy and parenting, and ephemera related to the patient-centered care of Certified Nurse Midwives. Major subjects include nurse midwives, high-risk pregnancies, and community health outreach in Durham County, North Carolina, documenting the work of the Duke Midwifery Service and professional activities of former director Amy MacDonald. … MORE

Category: Collection Spotlight

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, so this month we are highlighting a relatively new collection added to the Medical Center Archives in 2021: the Duke Chapter of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association Records.

The Duke chapter of the national Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) is a student-run organization dedicated to learning about, promoting awareness of, and improving Asian-American health issues. Since 2005, the Duke APAMSA chapter has been engaged in community outreach including holding service activities such as bone marrow registry drives, health screenings, and foreign-language health… MORE

Category: Collection Spotlight

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

At the Medical Center Archives, we are the caretakers of valuable records, photographs, artworks, audiovisual materials, and other important materials that document the history and day to day activities of the Duke University Medical Center and Duke University Health System’s departments and divisions. Because of the nature of these materials and the work we do, we are aware that the presence of pests in our physical spaces and collections can seriously damage these materials. As part of our ongoing commitment to excellence, we reappraised our current Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program last year with the aim of incorporating less harmful chemicals to control any potential infestation. IPM refers to pest control and prevention programs that rely on several simultaneous approaches to… MORE

Category: News

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

The Duke University Medical Center Archives is happy to announce that the Onyekwere E. Akwari Papers are processed and open for research. The collection includes but is not limited to correspondence; printed materials; datebooks, memorabilia, scrapbooks, certificates, and other personal papers; building plans; audiovisual materials; meeting minutes and agendas, photographs; newspaper clippings; publications; reprints; textiles; artifacts; and electronic records pertaining to Akwari's personal and professional interests and activities. Major subjects include the Society of Black American Surgeons (SBAS) and St. Titus Episcopal Church (Durham, N.C.) documenting the professional and personal… MORE

Category: News

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

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

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