Duke Medical Center Archive Blog

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

If you have never browsed the pages of the Intercom, we highly suggest taking a look. The Intercom was Duke Medicine’s primary news publication from 1953 to 1972. The pages are filled with traditional news stories about new medical innovations, changes in hospital policy, or personnel changes. They also often contain lighthearted stories about unusual happening around the hospital, social clubs, and opportunities for learning. 

Today we are highlighting another social group at Duke Hospital that caught our eye… MORE

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Carter Hulinsky joined the Archives staff as an intern in October. He received his BA from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln where he majored in Sociology and minored in History and Czech Language. He is currently working towards a Masters of Library and Information Science with a Concentration in Archives and Records Management at UNC-Chapel Hill and expects to be finished in 2023. After graduation, he hopes to continue working in Archives where he revels in the little known stories and details found in archival materials because there are always opportunities to learn and reasons to explore.

Carter developed an interest… MORE

Category: News

Archives Month is an annual, month-long observance of the agencies and people responsible for maintaining and making available the archival and historical records of our nation, state, communities, and people. Archives serve as the memory of our nation, and by celebrating, we recognize and give legitimacy to the enduring value of American records and America’s archives. We encourage you to check out our Instagram account where we'll be highlighting treasures from the Medical Center Archives collection all month long. This month the Society of North Carolina Archivists theme is North Carolina Travel, Tourism, and Vacation!  Additionally on October 13, 2021, archivists around the country will take to Twitter… MORE

Category: News

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are featuring an oral history from our collections with Dr. Alejandro Barbagelata.

Dr. Barbagelata is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Medicine and Cardiology at Duke University and a member of the Duke University Cooperative Cardiovascular Society (DUCCS) Board of Directors. He was interviewed by Jessica Roseberry on March 26, 2007. In the oral history interview, Barbagelata discusses the Duke Cardiovascular Databank and subsequent variations at Favaloro Clinic in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

When describing the challenges of establishing the Latino version of the Duke Databank, he… MORE

Category: Collection Spotlight