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 document the experiences of Black individuals at Duke Health. Full transcripts of these interviews may be found on MedSpace, our digital repository. Many of the people featured in these interviews are trailblazers in their field and they tell important stories about the history of Duke Health.
Pictured below from left to right are Jean Spaulding, Wilhem Delano Meriwether, Joanne A.P. Wilson, and Prentiss Lee Harrison. They are all pictured here as students. Harrison was the first Black physician assistant in the United States and graduated from Duke’s PA Program. Meriwether was the first Black student to graduate from Duke’s School of Medicine. Spaulding and Wilson were then the first and second Black female students to graduate from the School of Medicine.
For further research on Black history, we also encourage you to check out the Archives’ research guide Black History at Duke Health. The guide aims to introduce researchers to materials documenting the history of African American faculty, students, and staff at Duke Medicine. Included are oral histories, archival collections, photographs, audiovisual materials, and publications, selected key dates and key figures, and links to recommended digital resources.