Charles Drew
Born 1904 · Age 121
American surgeon and medical researcher who pioneered blood plasma preservation and organized large-scale blood banking; led the Blood for Britain project and helped establish American blood-banking standards.
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Life & Career Timeline
Became a newspaper boy
At about age 12 began selling and supervising delivery of multiple Washington newspapers; built early work/responsibility habits.
Family moved to Arlington County, Virginia (permanent address)
Drew's family established permanent address in Arlington County; he retained this as his permanent address until his marriage in 1939.
Graduated Dunbar High School
Completed secondary education at Dunbar High School, a noted college-preparatory school for African Americans.
Won athletics scholarship to Amherst College
Accepted to Amherst on an athletics scholarship; played football and track and field.
Graduated Amherst College (A.B.)
Received AB from Amherst College; noted for athletic accomplishments (Mossman trophy/major contributor to athletics).
Hired at Morgan College (now Morgan State) — athletics & teaching
Worked two years (1926–1928) as professor of chemistry and biology, first athletic director, and football coach to raise money for medical school.
Applied to medical schools and decided on McGill
Applied to Howard and Harvard (both had issues); accepted by and enrolled at McGill University Faculty of Medicine to begin medical training promptly.
Received MD and Master of Surgery from McGill
Graduated second in a class of ~127–137; elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and won J. Francis Williams prize; completed internship/residency at Montreal General Hospital (1933–1935).
Internship and surgical residency at Montreal General Hospital
Worked with bacteriology professor John Beattie; began focused interest in transfusion medicine and treating shock with fluid replacement.
Joined Howard University faculty (pathology instructor)
First appointment as faculty instructor in pathology at Howard University (1935–1936).
Became surgical instructor & assistant surgeon at Freedman's Hospital
Joined Freedman's Hospital (federally operated and associated with Howard) as surgical instructor and assistant surgeon; chief surgical resident training under Edward Lee Howes.
Awarded Rockefeller surgical fellowship (two years)
Received a two-year Rockefeller fellowship in surgery to pursue postgraduate work at Columbia and clinical research at Presbyterian Hospital under Allen Whipple and John Scudder.
Experimental blood bank opened at Presbyterian Hospital
Worked with John Scudder to open an experimental blood bank (trial bank) in August 1939 which formed the basis for his doctoral research and later large-scale programs.
Married Minnie Lenore Robbins
Met Minnie Lenore Robbins at a conference in April 1939; married in September 1939. They would have four children (three daughters and a son).
Blood for Britain: large-scale plasma collection
Project operated ~late 1940–Jan 1941; instituted standardized procedures for collection, centrifugation, asepsis, Merthiolate use and packaging for shipment to Britain.
Published doctoral thesis 'Banked Blood: A Study on Blood Preservation'
Dissertation examined anticoagulants, preservatives, storage container shapes, temperature and processing variables — foundational to blood banking.
Recruited to direct Blood for Britain project (medical director)
Called to New York to lead the Blood for Britain program to collect, test, preserve and ship plasma to the UK; applied his doctoral research to large-scale plasma operations.
Earned Doctor of Science in Surgery from Columbia (dissertation)
Awarded D.Sc. (Doctor of Science in Medicine/Surgery) for doctoral thesis 'Banked Blood: A Study on Blood Preservation'; first African American to earn this degree at Columbia.
Criticized racial segregation in blood donation policy
Publicly opposed the Red Cross and military practice of excluding black donors or segregating their blood; resigned his Red Cross post in protest (1942).
Blood for Britain concluded; shipped plasma to UK
By program end ~Jan 1941 shipped over 5,000 liters of plasma to Britain (sources report ~5,000 L or >5,500 vials depending on measure).
Passed American Board of Surgery exams
Achieved certification by the American Board of Surgery (passed oral exams while leading blood banking programs).
Appointed assistant director / director of Red Cross blood program; innovated 'bloodmobile'
After Blood for Britain he was appointed assistant director of a Red Cross pilot for national blood banking in Feb 1941; introduced mobile donation units ('bloodmobiles').
Appointed Chair, Dept. of Surgery and Chief of Surgery at Freedmen's Hospital
Returned to Howard University and in October 1941 became head of surgery and chief surgeon of Freedmen's Hospital; committed to training black surgeons to rigorous standards.
Resigned from American Red Cross in protest
Protested the Red Cross and military policies of racial segregation of blood donors and separate storage; resigned in 1942 citing scientific and moral objections.
Patent issued for method of preserving blood (reported)
US patent related to preserving blood issued November 10, 1942 (recognized as enabling blood bank operations).
Received E. S. Jones Award for Research in Medical Science
Award from the John A. Andrew Clinic in Tuskegee recognizing his contributions to transfusion medicine (reported 1942).
Awarded NAACP Spingarn Medal
Received the Spingarn Medal in recognition of his work on blood plasma and blood-banking efforts.
Named Chief of Staff at Freedmen's Hospital (reported)
Recognized as Chief of Staff at Freedmen's Hospital during mid-1940s while continuing to train surgeons and raise standards.
Honorary Doctor of Science from Virginia State College
Received honorary D.Sc. from Virginia State College in recognition of his scientific contributions.
Elected Fellow, International College of Surgeons
International recognition of his surgical and research achievements.
Drew's students and surgical residency successes
By late 1940s Drew had trained a generation of black surgeons; first group of his surgery residents passed board exams (reported by late 1940s).
Honorary Doctor of Science from Amherst College
Alma mater Amherst awarded him an honorary doctorate.
First African American appointed as an examiner for the American Board of Surgery (reported date variant)
Sources vary (some report 1941, others 1948) on when he became the first African-American surgeon examiner on the Board; included here as a major professional milestone.
Appointed Surgical Consultant for U.S. Army European Theater (reported)
Served as a surgical consultant to the U.S. Army's European Theater of Operations (reported 1949 appointment).
Died from injuries sustained in car accident
Fatigued while driving to the Tuskegee annual clinic, lost control of vehicle, severely injured, taken to Alamance General Hospital and pronounced dead; funeral held April 5, 1950.
Funeral at Nineteenth Street Baptist Church
Funeral service held in Washington, D.C.; drew national attention and reinforced his legacy.
Charles Drew Health Foundation and community clinics (1960s–2000)
Multiple community health centers and clinics established or named in his honor across the U.S.; Charles Drew Health Foundation (East Palo Alto) active from 1960s–2000.
Charles R. Drew Postgraduate Medical School incorporated
Postgraduate medical school named in his honor was incorporated in California; later became Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science.
Charles Richard Drew House designated National Historic Landmark
National Park Service designated his Arlington home a National Historic Landmark in response to nomination by the Afro-American Bicentennial Corporation.
U.S. Postal Service issued commemorative stamp
USPS issued a 35¢ Great Americans series postage stamp honoring Charles R. Drew.
Named one of 100 Greatest African Americans
Molefi Kete Asante included Drew on his list of 100 Greatest African Americans (2002).
USNS Charles Drew commissioned/named
United States Navy named a Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE-10) launched/placed in service in 2010.
Inducted into Morgan State / National Inventors Hall of Fame (reported affiliation honor)
Morgan State University reported Dr. Charles Drew's induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (recognition of his role in blood banking invention/innovation).
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