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Essay

Eddie L. Hoover, MD'69
Diversity at Duke: A Work in Progress
Diversity at Duke: A Work in Progress
Excerpt
“. . . [An] enormous effort . . . went into the decision by the Department of Surgery, the dean and other major chairs to accept me into the residency program as the first African American intern ever taken at Duke through the match. I was told that the administration had convened all specialty and section chiefs on whose services I would have to rotate to discuss their response to the inevitable episodes of racism that were surely going to occur. Their decision was that any patient who refused to be treated by me would be asked to leave the medical center.”
In This Essay
  • Remembrances of Duke in the 1960s, a time when the medical school admitted African American students at the rate of one every other year
  • Fractions and "fencing" with Dean Anlyan
  • Assessment of Duke’s contributions to diversity -- and what remains to be done
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Eddie L. Hoover, MD'69
Biography
Despite being a Tar Heel of the University of North Carolina, Eddie L. Hoover has always been a stalwart Duke supporter who enjoyed his experience there so much that he continues to send students to the medical school today. His experience at Duke includes serving as president of his third-year class, participating in the Student Government Association (senior year), being a member of the Engel Society, and receiving the Thomas Jefferson Award and the Duke University Service Award. Hoover was Duke’s first African American house officer in 1969, and served as a regional representative of the admissions committee from 1974 to 1987 as well as two terms on the alumni council.

The views expressed within each of these essays are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Duke University School of Medicine or Duke University Health System.