Guide to the William Henry Muller Interview, 2005


Collection Information



Abstract:
William Henry Muller, Jr., attended Duke University School of Medicine and the Johns Hopkins University and was the head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia from 1954 to 1976.Contains audiotapes and transcript of an oral history interview with William Henry Muller, Jr. Major subjects in this interview include Muller's recollections about student life. This interview was conducted on 28 June 2005 by Jessica Roseberry.
Contact Information:
Duke University Medical Center
Archives and Memorabilia
DUMC 3702
Durham, North Carolina
27710 USA
Phone: (919) 383-2653
Fax: (919) 383-1649
Email: dumc.archives@mc.duke.edu

Descriptive Summary

Extent
1 record storage box,
2 items,
.25 linear feet
Title
William Henry Muller Interview, 2005
Creator
Muller, William Henry
Repository
Duke University Medical Center Archives
Call Number
MullerW 1
Location
Archives Stacks: Oral History Collection

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Copyright Notice
Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], William Henry Muller Interview, Duke University Medical Center Archives.
Acquisitions Information
Acquired; 28 June 2005.
Processing Information
Processed by Jessica Roseberry, June 2006
Encoded by Dawne Howard Lucas, June 2007

Biographical Note

Dr. William Henry Muller, Jr., was born in Dillon, S.C. He attended McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn., for a year, and then he attended The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. He obtained his M.D. from Duke University School of Medicine in December 1943 and completed his internship at the Johns Hopkins University. From 1954 to 1976, Dr. Muller was chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia. He was a pioneer in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension through surgical means, and was responsible for inventing one of the initial artificial aortic valves. In 1982, the University of Virginia awarded him the Thomas Jefferson Award. Dr. Muller served as vice president of health sciences for the University of Virginia and was on the board of trustees at Duke University. He also served as president of the American College of Surgeons.

Collection Overview

Contains audiotapes and transcript of an oral history interview with William Henry Muller, Jr., a Duke University School of Medicine graduate and former head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia.

Online Catalog Headings

Duke University--Administration.
Duke University. Medical Center. Dept. of Surgery.
Duke University. School of Medicine.
Johns Hopkins University.
Students, Medical.
Oral histories.
Interviews.
Transcripts.
University of Virginia.

Related Material

Dr. Alfred Gras Oral History Interview
Dr. Ivan Brown Oral History Interview
Dr. Francis McCullough Oral History Interview
Dr. Charles Kernodle Oral History Interview
Dr. John Wilson Oral History Interview
Dr. Martin Cummings Oral History Interview

Collection Series

Detailed Description of the Collection

Interview on 28 June 2005

Dr. Muller discusses his background; education; father's interest in Duke; coming to Duke University Medical School; Mrs. Elizabeth Swett; the approximate size of the medical school student body; recollections of professors at Duke Medical School: Dr. Duncan Hetherington, Dr. Talmage Peele, Dr. D.T. Smith, Dr. William Alexander Perlzwieg, Dr, Ivan Brown, Dr. George Edie; medical student Alfred Gras becoming ill and being treated with penicillin; obtaining penicillin; registration forms from Duke convincing a roadblock officer that he was not a German officer; friends from medical school; substituting in surgery as junior and senior student; courses; rounding; Dr. Deryl Hart and others in Department of Surgery; Duke's relationship with Johns Hopkins; seeing President William Preston Few carried through the hospital after death; Dr. Wilburt Davison; Dr. William Anlyan; Dr. Ewald Busse; Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans and Dr. Joseph Trent; the syphilis clinic at Duke; anatomy class; pathology class; a memorable patient at Duke; the death of Robert Randolph Jones by shooting; the effect of war on the medical school; social aspects of student life; other professors at Duke University Medical School; returning to Duke in various capacities; changes in Duke campus over time since his medical school days; Dr. Douglas Knight and Dr. Terry Sanford; his proposal to the board of trustees to accept the Nixon Library at Duke University; his own service on the board of trustees at Duke; meeting Elizabeth Dole and other celebrities through service on the board of trustees; Dr. David Sabiston; influence of his education at Duke on his later life; the increase in the number of females in medical schools; classmate Raymond Rammage; the large amount of surgical patients as a medical student at Duke; his internship at Johns Hopkins; the length of the residency program at Duke and at Hopkins; physical aspects of Durham at the time; and the relationship with town doctors.

Box 1
Interview tapes [2 audiotapes (1 hours and 45 minutes total)]
Transcript [39 pages]
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