Duke University Medical Center Archives
Established in 1977, Duke University Medical Center (DUMC) Archives has played a vital and important role in capturing institutional records and documents for DUMC and the Health System and ensuring their future availability for administrators, researchers, and scholars. Building upon the efforts of Elon Clark and others who gathered together the records of Dean Wilburt C. Davison and many of the first Duke leaders, Dr. James Gifford started the first formal archives program. Traditionally, the job of DUMC Archives has been securing and storing documents from key administrative offices, collecting papers from department chairs and chiefs, and organizing hundreds of photographs, reports, and artifacts.
Duke University Medical Center Archives collections consist of the administrative records of individuals affiliated with Duke University Medical Center, the Duke University Health System, and the Duke University School of Medicine (including the School of Nursing, Allied Health Educational Programs, and Area Health Education Center Programs.)
Personal papers include materials of alumni, faculty, and administrative staff. These collections generally document the career, professional, or personal activities of individuals. Personal papers collections may contain correspondence, course materials, grant and patent applications, photographs, curriculum vitae, diplomas, certificates, scrapbooks, or memorabilia. Some collections include family memorabilia and correspondence.
Administrative records contain the official, non-current records of departments and divisions. Records document the general activities of the division or department as a whole. Types of materials may include correspondence and subject files of the Dean, Director, or Chair, newsletters, annual reports, records of programs and symposia, curriculum development materials, departmental minutes, committee minutes and reports, departmental histories, accreditation reports, or records about relationships with government, business, or industry.
SERVICES: Archival records must be used in the reading room of the Archives. However, the Archives provide a full range of reference services for both the local and remote researcher. Services provided include: photographic and xerographic reproductions; scanning and digitization services; and telephone, fax, postal mail, and electronic mail reference. Access to Medical Center administrative records is restricted for 25 years from the date of creation. Advance notice is required to use records that are stored offsite. Individuals or organizations donating material to the Archives may set conditions on use. Fragile or unprocessed materials may be closed at the discretion of the Medical Center Archivist. Access to collections containing, or likely to contain HIPAA identified Protected Health Information (PHI), may require Internal Review Board (IRB) approval.
Holdings consist of approximately 6,500 linear feet of administrative records and faculty papers, 30 linear feet of health-related Duke periodicals; 40 linear feet of photographs; 1,500 lantern slides used for teaching; 350 oral history interviews; 300 medical illustrations and medical art photographs; and 1,000 tapes, films, and videos. Collections date from about 1850 to 2003. Collection strengths include microbiology, pathology, medical education, medical photography, poisoning, community health, army hospitals, pediatrics, nursing, biochemistry, neurology and memory, and faith in medicine. Materials are mostly processed, and inventories (encoded using EAD) are available on our website.
Collections pertain to achievements in medicine at Duke University; the development, administration, construction, and expansion of the Duke University Medical Center; and faculty and administrative papers of deans and departments within the School of Medicine and School of Nursing. School of Medicine papers document the administration and careers of Wilburt Cornell Davison, Barnes Woodhall, William Anlyan and Ralph Snyderman. School of Nursing papers document the administration and careers of Bessie Baker, Margaret Pinkerton, Florence K. Wilson, Ann Jacobansky, Myrtle Irene Brown, Ruby L. Wilson, Dorothy Brundage, Rachel Booth, and Mary Champagne. Other major collections include the records of the 65th General Hospital, Walter Kempner’s Rice Diet, Duke Poison Control Center and Jay Arena’s creation of the childproof safety cap, correspondence with Sir William Osler, Society of Allergists correspondence, and the professional papers of Dale Purves and David B. Larson.
Oral History interviews document the careers of Duke personnel as well as advancements in biomedical and health sciences. The collection includes significant interviews with Eugene A. Stead, William G. Anlyan, Wilburt Cornell Davison, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans, Jay Arena, Rebecca Buckley, Catherine Wilfert, Robert Lefkowitz, Wilhelm Delano Meriwether, Ivan Brown, and many others. Major issues include women in medicine, African-Americans in medicine, physician assistants, and nursing, the Duke Cardiovascular Databank, Durham Regional Hospital, and individual achievements of Duke personnel.