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Black History at Duke Health

A guide to archival materials about Black history at the Duke Health

Contact Us

Duke University Medical Center Archives

Phone: (919) 383-2653  

dumc.archives@mc.duke.edu  

Hours: M-F, 8:30AM - 4:30PM 

Street Address: 1408A Christian Ave., Durham, NC 27705 [Directions]

Medical Center Archives Website

Archives Staff Are Also Available on Campus:

Phone: (919) 660-1144

Medical Center Library, Level 1, Room 103G

Hours: By appointment

Introduction to Black History at the Duke University Medical Center

Early Hospital Floor Plan

The stories of African Americans have been historically underrepresented and concealed in archival collections. Consequently researching their history can be difficult.

This guide aims to introduce researchers to materials documenting the history of African Americans at the Duke University Medical Center. The focus is on navigating resources within the Medical Center Archives. It is not intended to be a comprehensive bibliography, but rather a starting guide to locating research materials.


To the right: A 1927 floor plan of Duke University Hospital shows that black patients were admitted but facilities were segregated. Part of the Wilburt C. Davison Papers, and also available at MEDSpace.

The information in this guide is separated into multiple sections. Use the tabs on the top left of this page to navigate to each section.

  • Duke Medicine Key Dates & Key Figures: Selected highlights featuring important dates, events, and figures in the history of African Americans at the Medical Center.
  • Archival Collections: These collections were created by Medical Center departments, faculty, alumni, and organizations. They contain primary documents including correspondence, reports, administrative files, and memoranda.
  • Oral Histories: Interviews conducted with key figures in Duke Medicine's history.
  • Photograph & Audiovisual Collections: Images and AV materials documenting the history, functions, operations, key figures, events, innovations of the Medical Center. 
  • Subject & Biographical Files: Prepared by Medical Center Archives staff, this collection provides brief overviews of important topics and figures in Duke Medicine’s history.
  • Duke Medicine Publications: These titles include publications produced by the Medical Center, from the 1950s to the present.
  • Recommended Resources: Suggested resources for learning more about African Americans at Duke Medicine.