Charles Drew

Pioneer in blood banking and transfusion technology.

Charles Richard Drew (1904-1950) was an American surgeon and medical researcher known for his pioneering work in blood transfusion and his role in developing blood banks during World War II. Drew's innovations changed the course of medical history, making it possible to store and transfuse blood on a large scale.

Drew was born in Washington, D.C. and showed a keen interest in science from an early age. He attended Amherst College and went on to study at McGill University in Montreal, where he earned both Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery degrees. His ambitions led him to Columbia University, where he conducted groundbreaking research on blood preservation.

His doctoral thesis, titled "Banked Blood: A Study in Blood Preservation," laid the foundation for modern blood banking. Drew discovered that blood could be preserved for a week if plasma and red blood cells were separated, a method that significantly increased the availability and efficacy of blood transfusions.

During World War II, Drew was appointed as the first director of the American Red Cross Blood Bank, where he established the first large-scale blood bank, the Blood for Britain project, which provided blood plasma to the British during the Battle of Britain. His methods are still the standard practices today.

Drew was also a vocal advocate against racial discrimination in medicine and protested the American policy of segregating blood from black and white donors.

For further reading, visit Charles Drew on History.com.