The Medical Center Archives is happy to announce that the J. Leonard Goldner Papers are processed and open for research. The collection documents the professional career of Goldner at Duke University Medical Center (DUMC). Goldner was a lauded Duke Orthopedic surgeon and professor from 1950 to 1988. Types of materials in this collection include correspondence, reprints, newsletters, clippings, programs, certificates, awards, photographs, audiovisual materials, biographical materials, notes, memorabilia, manuscripts, and artwork. The collection contains materials from 1930 to 2013, although the bulk the collection dates from the beginning of Goldner’s career at Duke to his death in 2008.
Goldner certainly left his mark over the course of his career at DUMC, during which he established the first clinical Hand Surgery program in the southeast. Goldner was internationally recognized for his contributions to the field of orthopaedic surgery, particularly for developing a method of surgical management of congenital clubfoot. He was also recognized for his management of cerebral palsy, as well as the management of hand, upper extremity, spinal, and pain problems.
The collection is rich in photographic and visual materials documenting Goldner’s travels and professional activities. These photographs capture candid moments between Goldner, his colleagues, and family at various retreats, banquets, and events. Prominently featured are snapshots of Goldner with his wife Eunice (Ken) Kensinger Goldner, who accompanied him during his professional travels and renowned Duke orthopaedic physicians such as Lenox Baker and James Urbaniak. The collection’s photographs, correspondence, writings, and other materials, provide fascinating insights into an international network of surgeons pioneering innovations in orthopaedic surgery during the second half of the twentieth century. This collection should, therefore, be of interest not only to researchers interested in the history of orthopaedics at DUMC, but also to those interested in the history of orthopaedics at a national and global level.
To learn more about these materials, visit the finding aid or contact the archives staff.
This blog was contributes by Archives Intern Caroline Waller.