Jean Spaulding
Jean Spaulding was born Jean Gaillard in 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama but grew up in Highland Park, Michigan just outside Detroit. She attained a Bachelor’s degree from Barnard College, which was founded in 1889 by Annie Nathan Meyer as a response to Columbia University’s refusal to admit women. In 1972, she received an MD from Duke University School of Medicine, becoming the first African-American female to graduate from the medical school. After completing her Residency and Fellowship in Psychiatry at Duke, she left in 1977 to open a private Psychiatry practice in Durham, NC.
Dr. Spaulding still maintained a professional affiliation with Duke serving as a Clinical Consultant in Child Psychiatry from 1977 to 1990. In 1997, she began serving as a consultant for Lilly Research Laboratories, as well as an on-camera talent and consultant for WTVD News Channel 11, an ABC affiliate station in the Raleigh/Durham, NC metropolitan region.
Her service with Duke continued from 1998 to 2002 in her role as Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs when she worked to develop initiatives for female faculty members and to increase the numbers of underrepresented minority students and minority faculty. In 2002, she became a member of the Duke Endowment Committee, later beoming a Trustee. As a Trustee, she has chaired the Healthcare Committee and Childcare Committee, sat on the Education Committee and Human Resources Committee, and Chaired the Trustees and Governance Committee.
Dr. Spaulding has also served on the Board of Cardinal Health Corporation, one of the largest US healthcare companies. As an Independent Director on the Board of Merryck & Co Americas, she works with Senior Executives across numerous industries in the private and public sectors.
Dr. Spaulding has had many professional accomplishments and performed numerous community service activities including:
- Ombudsman of Duke University Medical School and Health System
- Search Committee (1992) for Duke University President
- Annual Fund Co-Chair, Durham Public Education Network
- Honorary Co-Chair, March of Dimes Walk America
- Member, Bi-National Health Commission between the United States and Mexico
- Board of Trustees
- Durham County Hospital Corporation
- Duke University
- Board of Directors
- Duke University Health System
- Executive Committee, City of Medicine
- North Carolina Museum of History
- Josiah Charles Trent Memorial Foundation
Interview
This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Jean Spaulding on October 3, 2006 by Jessica Roseberry.