DACS

wattscharlesdewitt Inventory of the Charles DeWitt Watts Papers, 1917-2004 and undated Processed by: Meghan Lyon and Elizabeth Shesko; machine-readable finding aid created by: Meghan Lyon, Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, and Elizabeth Shesko David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, N.C., USA

Aleph Number: 003834951

Machine-readable finding aid derived from XML authoring program. Date of source: December 2008, April 2011Processed by Meghan Lyon and Elizabeth Shesko, December 2008 and April 2011; finding aid encoded by Meghan Lyon, Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, and Elizabeth Shesko, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, December 2008 and April 2011 Description is in English Finding aid was prepared using DACS and local Style Guide Inventory of the Charles DeWitt Watts Papers, 1917-2004 and undated David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library Duke University Durham, North Carolina 27708-0185 USA

Descriptive Summary David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Watts, Charles DeWitt. Charles DeWitt Watts Papers, 1917-2004 and undated Material in English 13.5 Linear Feet Approximately 7215 Items For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Pioneering African American surgeon who was chief of surgery at Lincoln Hospital, clinical professor of surgery at Duke University, founder of Licoln Community Health Center, director of student health at North Carolina Central University, and vice president and medical director for North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, all in Durham, N.C. Spanning the period of 1917 to 2004, the Charles DeWitt Watts Papers contain files related to Watts's education, family, community activities, centered in Durham, N.C., and his career as a surgeon, administrator, and trustee on several boards. There is material on the formation in 1901 of Lincoln Hospital, a medical care facility for African Americans in Durham, N.C.. and other items on the early 20th century history of Durham, but the bulk of the papers relate to the later half of the 20th century. Formats primarily consist of correspondence, reports, notes, speeches, photographs, and print materials. It is organized into the following series: Community Relations, Personal Files, Photographic Materials, and Professional Files. Material in the Medical Records Series have been separated and are currently closed to use. Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture. Administrative Information Access Restrictions

Collection is restricted. Medical records are currently closed to use.

In addition, patrons must sign the Acknowledgment of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.

All or portions of this collection may be housed off-site in Duke University's Library Service Center. Consequently, there may be a 24-hour delay in obtaining these materials.

Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library to use this collection.

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the copyright section of the Regulations and Procedures of the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Charles DeWitt Watts Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library

Provenance

The Charles DeWitt Watts Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library as a gift in 2005 and 2008.

Processing Information

Processed by Meghan Lyon and Elizabeth Shesko, December 2008 and April 2011.

Encoded by Meghan Lyon, Paula Jeannet Mangiafico, and Elizabeth Shesko, December 2008 and April 2011.

Accessions 2005-0050 and 2008-0312 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.

Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory: DACS, EAD, NCEAD guidelines, and our local Style Guide.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.

Biographical and Historical Note

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on September 21, 1917, Charles DeWitt Watts was a pioneering African American surgeon. Watts graduated from Morehouse College with a degree in mathematics in 1938. He received his medical degree in 1943 from Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where he was mentored by Dr. Charles R. Drew, a pioneer of blood collection and plasma processing. Watts completed his surgical training at Freedman's Hospital in Washington, D.C. from 1943-1948 and worked at Howard as instructor of surgery and director of the cancer clinic from 1948-1949.

In 1945, Watts married Constance Merrick Watts, the granddaughter of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company founders, John Merrick and Dr. A.M. Moore. They had four children. In 1950, the Watts family returned to Constance's hometown of Durham, North Carolina, where Watts set up a private practice and joined the staff of Lincoln Hospital. He was the first African American to be certified by a surgical specialty board in North Carolina. During his medical career, he served as Director of Student Health at North Carolina Central University (1952-1960), Chief of Surgery at Lincoln Hospital (1965-1976), Attending Surgeon at Watts Hospital (1968-1976) and Durham County General Hospital (1976-1987), and Adjunct Clinical Professor of Surgery at Duke. He retired from private practice in 1988 but continued to consult and teach.

Watts worked for civil rights and quality medical care for Durham residents. He was one of the founders and served on the Board of Durham County General Hospital (now Durham Regional Hospital), the first desegregated hospital in Durham. When Lincoln Hospital closed its doors after the opening of Durham Regional, Watts was instrumental in turning it into the Lincoln Community Health Center, an outpatient clinic dedicated to serving Durham residents regardless of income; he served as its first Medical Director for a year until Dr. Evie Schmidt was hired as its permanent head. Watts also served as Vice-President and Medical Director of the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company from 1960-1988. From 1978-1993, he was a trustee of Howard University, where he oversaw the university's medical enterprise and engineered the Board's governance reform. In 2002, Duke University Medical School created the Charles Watts Travel Award to help fund faculty and student travel to study culturally specific issues. Charles DeWitt Watts passed away in Durham on July 12, 2004 at the age of 86.

Collection Overview

Spanning the dates 1917 to 2004, the Charles DeWitt Watts Papers contain files related to Watts's education, family, community activities, centered in Durham, N.C., and his career as a surgeon, administrator, and trustee on several boards. The bulk of the material dates from 1970 to 2000. The collection primarily consists of correspondence, reports, notes, speeches, photographs, and print materials, and is organized into the following series: Community Relations, Personal Files, Photographic Materials, and Professional Files. Material containing personally-identifiable medical information in the Medical Records Series has been separated from the other professional files and is currently closed to use.

Largest in the collection is the Professional Files Series, which primarily contains administrative documents related to Watts's career as a doctor, surgeon, and medical administrator for various private practices, hospitals, boards, and professional societies. Of particular note are files related to Watt's mentor, Dr. Charles Drew, the history of Lincoln Hospital, and the establishment of the Lincoln Community Health Center in 1970. The folders in the Medical Records Series have been segregated and are currently closed to use. The Community Relations Series concerns Watts's professional life outside of medicine, containing files related to his membership in churches and fraternal organizations, non-medically-related boards on which he served, his work with Durham, N.C. organizations, his interest in race relations, and honors awarded him. Also included are the papers of Constance Watts (wife), Lyda Merrick (mother-in-law), and Margaret Smith (a nurse in his office). Of special interest is a scrapbook about the Negro Braille Magazine (now the Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind), founded by Mrs. Merrick.

Some professional correspondence is also intermixed in the Personal Files Series, which contains papers related to Watts's family, friends, finances, education, and alumni activities. Of particular note is a transcript of Watts's oral history. Containing both professional and personal content, the Photographic Materials Series contains photographs, slides, and negatives. The bulk consists of portraits and snapshots of the Watts family. Of particular note are early photographs of Lincoln Hospital nursing students and staff members.

Acquired as part of the John Hope Franklin Research Center for African and African American History and Culture.

Collection has been screened for medical records and other potentially sensitive materials. However, there may be other information protected by privacy laws. Medical records have been segregated and are currently closed to use.

Subject Headings

These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.

Drew, Charles Richard, 1904-1950. Merrick, Lyda. Watts, Constance Merrick. Watts, Charles DeWitt. Duke University--Medical Center--History. Howard University. Board of Trustees. Howard University Medical Alumni Association, Inc. Lincoln Hospital (Durham, N.C.)--History. North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Sigma Pi Phi. African Americans--Medical care--History. African American surgeons. Blind, Periodicals for the Health care reform--United States. Hospitals--North Carolina--Durham--History. Health facilities--North Carolina--Durham. Minorities--Medical care--North Carolina--History--20th century. Durham (N.C.)--History--20th century. Durham (N.C.)--Race relations--20th century. North Carolina--Race relations. Photographs. Scrapbooks. Slides (photographs). Related Material Lincoln Hospital Records, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Archives, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University Contents of Collection Community Relations Series, 1948-2004 (4 boxes)

Contains papers related to Watts's membership in churches and fraternal organizations, non-medically-related boards on which he served, his work with Durham, N.C. organizations, his interest in race relations, and honors awarded to him. Materials include photographs, correspondence, notes, programs, speeches, programs, clippings, print materials, and a commemorative plaque. Also included are the papers of Constance Watts (wife), Lyda Merrick (mother-in-law), and Margaret Smith (a nurse in his office). Of special interest are materials related to the Negro Braille Magazine (now the Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind), founded by Mrs. Merrick. Arranged alphabetically.

1Alpha Tau Boulé, Sigma Pi Phi, 1969-1982(3 folders) African Methodist Episcopal church, 1978 African Methodist Episcopal Church Review article on Watts, 2001 Charles D. Watts Award, 2001 May City of Medicine Award, 1999 Duke University honors, 1991-2002 Moore Award, 2002 St. Paul's College honorary degree, 1984 Shaw University Award for Outstanding Community Leadership, 1991 Nov. 21 Black colleges, 1970-1973 Chi Delta Mu, 1962-1968 Daughters of Dorcus Club, 1992 Sept. 12 Durham Council on Human Relations, 1964-1965 Durham schools report, 1980 Feb. First Congregational Church, Atlanta GA, 1985-1994 Hayti Development Corporation, 1985 John Avery Boys and Girls Club, 1994 Johnson, Charles, 1997 2A Matter of Law: A Memoir of Struggle in the Cause of Equal Rights manuscript by Robert L. Carter, 2004(2 folders) McKissick, Floyd, 1991 Miller, Helen S., 1982 Minority Community Resources Conference, 1958 Jan. 15 NAACP, 1980-1981 NAACP, 2000 Oct. 28 National Association of Urban Bankers oratorical competition, 1997 The Negro and the Poor in America materials sent by The North Carolina Fund, 1968 North Carolina School of Science and Math, 1995-2001 Palmer Memorial Institute, 1953 June Palmer Memorial Institute, 1965-1968(2 folders) 2Papers of Merrick, Lyda Daughters of Dorcus, 1948-1949 Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind, 1987 June Negro Braille Magazine correspondence and clippings, 1976-1981 North Carolina Federation of Women's Clubs, 1970-1984 Photographs, clippings, and correspondence, 1948-1985

3Papers of Smith, Margaret Correspondence, 1973 Nurse practitioner program, 1977-1979 United Holy Church, 1977-1982 Young People's Holy Association Union, 1974-1979(2 folders) Papers of Watts, Constance Durham-Orange County Medical Auxiliary Historical Committee, 1978 United Fund budget book, 1966(2 folders) Up the Hill, Jack & Jill of America, Inc., nos. 15-17, 1962-1964(2 folders)

4Premedical Education for Negroes, Charles W. Buggs, 1949 Prison health care, 1978 Race relations articles, 1989-2000 Rotary Club introduction of Josephine Dobbs Clement, c. 1990 Rotary Club pamphlets, 1969-1973 Rotary Club scholarships, 1992-1995 Sanders, Charles, 1995 Seattle Urban League materials, 1959 Southeast Durham Recreation and Youth Activities, 1972 Aug. United Negro College Fund, 1980 Young Black Males in Jeopardy report, 1988 OV1Lyda Merrick scrapbook, 1954-1981 OV2Calendar of African American History, The Power Within: The Legacy of Dr. Daniel Hale Williams, 1993 Merrick-Washington Magazine for the Blind, 1989 Dec. Scrapbook for Alpha Phi Alpha Award of Honor to Dr. Clyde Donnell, 1960 Personal Files Series, 1938-2003 and undated (3 boxes)

Houses papers related to Watts's family, friends, finances, education, and alumni activities, in the form of correspondence, clippings, memorabilia, speeches, programs, memorial pamphlets, photographs, and oral history transcripts. Some professional correspondence is also intermixed. Arranged alphabetically by folder title.

4Appointment letters, certificates, awards, educational records, and clippings, 1939-1996(2 folders) Armstrong, Wiley Thurber (Dr.), 1981 Biographical sketch, awards, family, 1974-1996 Bruce, William Jr. (Dr.), 2001 Clement, Kenneth W. (Dr.) and Dolores, 1974, 2002 Clement, William A. and Josephine, 1985-2001 Clippings, correspondence, CVs, 1978-2003(7 folders) Clippings, wedding and memorial pamphlets, lists, 1978-1999 5Correspondence, speeches, certificates, 1952-1982(3 folders) Curry, Charles L. (Dr.), 1994-1999 Daniel, John T. (Dr.), 1989 Deerfield Academy, 1971-1973 Donnell, Clyde (Dr.), 1994 Estate planning, undated 50th anniversary, awards, genealogy research, 1985-1997 Gipson, Bernard F. Sr. (Dr.), 1982 Glenview Memorial Park, Inc. financial statements, 1969-1979 Hawes, Ernest, 1983-1985 Hawes and Spaulding families, 1987-2001 Hemphill, Wini Watts, 1989 Hill, Deborah Chase Watts, 1971-1993 Hill, Shana Blake, 1996-1999 Howard alumni materials, 1950-2003(4 folders) 6Howard Alumni Achievement Award, 1999 Howard Charter Day, 1993 Interview transcript, undated Interview for Black Health Manpower, 1985-1986 Johnson-Thompson, Marian C. (Dr.), 1987-1998 McDougald, Richard Lewis, 1944 Merrick, Constance, 1939 Merrick family history, 1990 Merrick heirs property tax, 2003 Merrick/Moore families cemetery lots, 1999 Moore, Aaron McDuffie (Dr.), 1980, 1999 Moore, Cottie S., 1950 Morehouse alumni materials, 1951-2002(5 folders) Morehouse commencement program, 1938 Morehouse School of Medicine catalog, 1990 Morehouse Triangle Club, 1988-1993 Morehouse yearbook, 1938 Mother of the Year, 1985 Passport, 1983 7Rental properties, 1976-2001(3 folders) Reunion and commencement programs, 1978-1987 Schiebel, H. Max (Dr.), 1999 Smith, Annick, 1963-1977 Southview Cemetery Association, 1992-1993 Southview Cemetery financials, 1977 June 30 Speeches, 1986-1992 and undated(2 folders) Spellman College, 1988 Sullivan, Louis (Dr.), 1995 Trip notes, 1983 Watts, Albert H., 1977-2002(2 folders) Watts, Carrie E., 1987 Watts, Charles DeWitt Jr., 1973-1994 Watts, Lewis G., 1964 Welch, C. Eileen Watts, 1990-1996 Yancy, Asa G. (Dr.), 1990 OV3Family trip scrapbook, 1957-1962

Contains memorabilia, photographs, and negatives from a Watts family cross-country trip.

Photographic Materials Series, 1917-2004 and undated (1 box)

Contains prints, slides, and negatives related to Watts's personal and professional life. The bulk of the material are portraits and snapshots of the Watts, Merrick, and Moore families. Of particular note are early photographs of Lincoln Hospital nursing students and staff members. Additional photographs are located in the Community Relations and Personal Files series. Arranged alphabetically.

7Daughters of Dorcus, YWCA, c. 1965 Drew, Charles (Dr.), undated(2 folders) Events and family, 1992 Lincoln Hospital, c. 1910?-1945 Lincoln Hospital history slides, undated North Carolina Mutual, 1960-2004 Teaching slides, undated Watts, Merrick, and Moore families, 1917-1945 Watts family, 1945-1970 Watts family, 1970-2004 OV2E.R. Merrick portrait, c. 1930 Watts family portrait, c. 1963 Professional Files Series, 1945-2003 and undated (12 boxes)

Contains files related to Watts's career as a doctor, surgeon, and medical administrator for various private practices, hospitals, boards, and professional societies. Topics include minority healthcare, minority physicians, healthcare cost containment, national health insurance, substance abuse, and child sexual abuse. Of particular note are files related to the history of Lincoln Hospital, the establishment of the Lincoln Clinic, and to Watts's mentor, Dr. Charles Drew. Materials include budgets, planning documents, correspondence, reports, memos, pamphlets, meeting materials, printed materials, policies, grant proposals, event programs, financial statements, CVs, and notes on medical procedures. Files are grouped by the following topics and then arranged chronologically: Durham County General Hospital, Howard University, Lincoln Hospital/Clinic, North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co., and Professional Societies and Task Forces. Files that fall outside of these groupings are arranged alphabetically at the end of the series. Some additional professional files can be found in the Personal Files Series.

8Durham County General Hospital Relationship with Lincoln Clinic, grants, long-range planning, 1973-1975 Hunter, David P., 1975 Duke Affiliation Committee, 1976 Medical staff bylaws, safety manual, 1978-1979 Department of Surgery memos, 1978-1979 Bulletin, 1981 Policies, reports, and memos, 1981-1983 Moore, Donald T., 1991 Associated Health Services, Inc., 1994 Health care report, undated Howard University HMO research, memos, progress reports, 1974-1976 Mutual of Omaha policy, 1975 College of Medicine Report, 1975 Board of Trustees, Hospital Advisory Board, 1975-1979 Board of Trustees, 1977-1978 Toward Equal Educational Opportunity: Affirmative Admissions Programs at Law and Medical Schools, 1978 June Syphax, Burke (Dr.), 1978-1995 Pamphlets, 1980-1986 9Annual report, 1984 Cobb, William Montague (Dr.), 1984 Presidential Search Committee, 1989-1991 Student Affairs Committee, 1990 Sept. 21 Letters to Dr. Russell Miller, 1991-1992 Hospital Board, 1992 Medical Association meeting, 1993 Board meetings, 1993 Caspa Harris v. Howard University, 1996 Self-Study Report, 1999 Feb. Statement to U.S. House of Representatives, 2000 Mar. 16 Howard University Medical Alumni Association Executive Board meetings, 2001-2003(6 folders) 10Lincoln Hospital and Lincoln Clinic Postgraduate Clinic Symposia, 1953-1956 Study Committee, 1956 School of Nursing, 1956-1977, 1989(2 folders) Staff, 1960-1964 Correspondence and reports, 1960-1968 Housing project, 1963 Health center project, 1963-1977 Reports, proposals, minutes, 1965-1968 History, 1965-1999, with copy of 1899 letter(7 folders) Trustee materials, correspondence, clippings, 1966-1968(2 folders) Community health center proposal, 1970(2 folders) 11Planning, correspondence, 1970-1980 Board minutes, reports, correspondence, 1971-1977, 1994 Progress report, 1972 Reports, memos, schedules, 1973-1979(2 folders) Annual public meeting, 1975 Apr. 13 Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, 1980 Lincoln Apartments financial reports, 1982-1990, 1999-2003(2 folders) Report by Rudolph S. Jackson, 1986 Grant support, 1987 Hospital governing board conference 1989 July 15 Continuation request, 1993 Board materials, lease, bylaws, speech, 1994 12North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Co. Pamphlets, 1958 and undated The Weekly Review, 1960 Jan. 15 Report on kidney disease, 1970 Clippings, correspondence, speeches, event programs, 1966-2000(5 folders) Financial reports, minutes, evaluations, 1974-1975 Substance abuse research, 1974-1980(2 folders) Atlanta University Center, 1978 Wheeler, John Hervey, 1978 Oct. 28 Life Insurers Conference response to Elizabeth Laporte Report, 1979 Mar. 9 Speeches, North Carolina Mutual history, reports, 1983-1988(2 folders) Spaulding, Asa T., 1986 13Medical Department, 1985-1987(2 folders) Smoking cessation project, 1985-1998(3 folders) Founders Day, 1987-1996(3 folders) The Whetstone, 1986, 1988, 1997 Board materials, 1990-1996(3 folders) Luncheon for Dr. Kenneth Olden, 1991 Oct. 23 Massey invitation, 2000-2001 Congressional Black Caucus, undated Professional Societies and Task Forces Alpha Omega Alpha, 1983-1984, 2003 American Cancer Society, 1993 American Board of Surgery, 1949-1965 American College of Surgeons, 1954-2002(2 folders) 14American Medical Association, 1976-1983(2 folders) American Society for Microbiology, 1998 May 18 Directories and rosters, c. 1976 Durham Academy of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy, 1990 Durham-Orange County Medical Society, 1974-1984(4 folders) Institute of Medicine, 1978-2003(4 folders) HMO Task Force, 1974-1976 15Healthcare cost materials, 1979-1986(2 folders) National Medical Association, 1977-1991(3 folders) North Carolina Central University Nursing Program Advisory Board, 1984-1992(2 folders) North Carolina Health Insurance Advisory Board, 1963-1979(2 folders) North Carolina Medical Society, 1975-1990(2 folders) Medicaid Cost Containment Commission, 1977-1978 Minority Cancer Control Research Advisory Board, 1991 Old North State Medical Society, 1960-1988(2 folders) 16Society of Black Academic Surgeons, 1989-1991(3 folders) Triangle Hospice Steering Committee, 1992-1993 UNC School of Public Health Board of Advisors, 1986-1987(2 folders) Other Professional Files Birchett, Mark G., undated Capital Health Systems Agency, 1974-1979(5 of 7 folders) 17Capital Health Systems Agency, 1974-1979(2 of 7 folders) Carr Agyapong, D., 1995 Citron, David S., 1980 CVs, 1977-1993 Drew, Charles (Dr.): speeches, events, research, articles, 1945-2001(6 folders) Drew, Charles (Dr.): Watts oral history transcript for American Red Cross project, 2001-2002 Drug Enforcement Administration registration, 1981-1992 Duke University Medical Center, 1976-1984(2 folders) 18Durham Ambulatory Surgical Center, 1984-1993(5 folders) Malpractice suit, 1973-1974 Medical Associates, Inc., 1964, 1986-1987, 2000(3 folders) North Carolina hospital discharge data, 2000 June Notes, lectures, and articles on surgical procedures, 1953-1994(8 of 20 folders) 19Notes, lectures, and articles on surgical procedures, 1953-1994(12 of 20 folders) Residency records, 1945-1949 Spellman, Mitchell (Dr.), 1970-1974 Stead, Eugene Jr. (Dr.), 1999 Swift, LeRoy, 1982 Medical Records Series, 1945-1980 (6 folders)

Contains medical records with personally-identifiable information separated from the rest of the collection. Of particular note is a record of surgeries performed by Dr. Watts, beginning with his residency in 1945. Folders reflect the title of the parallel folder in the main collection from which the records were pulled.

[Medical records are currently closed to use. Please contact a reference archivist for information regarding access to these materials.]

20Surgical record, 1945-1968 Surgical record for American College of Surgeons, 1954 Lincoln Hospital staff, 1960-1964 Lincoln Hospital correspondence and reports, 1960-1968 Eosinophilic gastroenteritis, 1978 Diverticular disease, 1980 Accession 2005-0050

Oversize Material

1Miscellaneous