The Medical Center Library & Archives is happy to announce that our new exhibit, “Early Duke Notables,” is now on display. Featuring artifacts, photographs, and documents from the Archives, the exhibit highlights some of the key individuals who helped found Duke Health. Visitors will learn about Dr. Wilburt C. Davison (pictured right), the first hospital director and School of Medicine Dean, who did everything from recruit faculty to help design the hospital; Bessie Baker, the first School of Nursing Dean who also oversaw nursing at the hospital; Dr. J. Deryl Hart, Chair of Surgery who pioneered the use of ultraviolet light in operating rooms to eliminate infectious organisms that cause post-operative Staph infections; and Dr. Frederic M. Hanes, Chair of Medicine, who started the earliest incarnation of Duke Gardens. Items on display include original hospital floorplans with Davison’s notes, a 1930’s nursing cap from Baker’s tenure, a patent for one of Hart’s inventions, and a letter written by Hanes about establishing Duke Gardens. “Early Duke Notables” may be seen on Level 1 of the Library from June to September 2016. To learn more about Duke Health history, visit the Archives website.
