Frances Widmann
1935-2013
Frances Widmann was born in 1935 in Boston, Massachusetts but grew up in Chicago. She received a BA from Swarthmore College in 1956 and an MD from Western Reserve University in 1960. After her Internship at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital and Residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she remained at UNC on the faculty as an Assistant Professor. From 1966-1970, she served as Medical Director of the Blood Bank at NC Memorial Hospital, while also working as Transfusion Officer at the Durham Veteran’s Administration Hospital.
Dr. Widmann came to Duke in 1971 as an Assistant/Associate Professor of Pathology. From 1971-1997, she was Associate Medical Director then Medical Director of the Medical Technology Program at Duke. She headed the Blood Bank at the Durham VA Hospital, serving as Assistant Chief of Laboratory Service from 1972-1998.
Dr. Widmann was a prolific writer whose credits include editing the Technical Manual of the American Association of Blood Banks (1985) and the Standards for Blood Banks and Transfusion Services (1991 and 1993), resources which outline the standards of the field of blood banking.
She had several committee afiliations, awards, and recognitions including:
- Distinguished Service Award from the American Association of Blood Banks
- John Elliott Award of the American Association of Blood Banks
- Petteway-Shepherd Award of the North Carolina Association of Blood Bankers
- Admissions Committee, Duke University Medical School
- Chair, Transfusion Committee at the VA Medical Center
Dr. Widmann died peacefully at the Hock Family Pavilion at Duke Hospice on Sunday, October 20, 2013.
Interview
This oral history interview was conducted with Dr. Frances K. Widmann on November 28, 2007 by Jessica Roseberry.