Charles Drew

Name of scientist: Charles Richard Drew

Male or Female: Male

When did the Scientist live?

Charles Drew was born on June 3, 1904 and died on April 1, 1950.

Where did the Scientist live?

Charles Drew lived in Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) his whole life, though he traveled to different places for his job and education.

What was/is the Scientist cultural background/race (ethnicity)?

Charles Drew was an African American (Black) and at the time blacks were not treated with as much respect as whites.

What was/is the Scientist family background? Include any relevant important life events?

Charles Drew lived with his mother, father, and 3 siblings. He lived with his older brother, Richard, and younger sisters, Abigail and Susana. His father Richard T. Drew was a carpet layer. His mother, Nora Burrel, was a schoolteacher and had earned a minor at a small teachers college. One of Drew's sisters died at a young age due to tuberculosis and influenza, this is what is believed to have influenced him to pursue a career in medicine. Drew married a schoolteacher named Lenore Robins on September 29, 1939. They later had four kids whose names are Bebe Roberta, Charlene Rosella, Rehea Sylvia, and Charles Richard Drew Junior.

Drew died on April 1, 1950 after attending a clinic held at the John A. Andrew Memorial Hospital in Tuskegee, Alabama. Instead of flying, Drew and three other black physicians decided to drive, they were still exhausted from the clinic and Charles Drew lost control of the vehicle after falling asleep at the wheel. The car went into a nearby field and did 3 summersaults. Everyone but drew only suffered minor injures, but drew was trapped, but later was rushed to a nearby white hospital, were, contrary to popular belief, he was treated. But within half an hour he was pronounced dead. He died in Alamance General Hospital in Burlington, North Carolina. Charles Drews funeral was held on April 5, 1950 at the Nineteenth Street Baptist Church in Washington D.C. (District of Columbia).

What was/is the Scientist educational background?

Charles Drew went to school in his early years at Meads Mill Elementary School, and later enrolled in Dunbar High School, a black school that had been known to hold a high educational standard. At Dunbar he excelled in sports, extracurricular activities, and academics. He went to Amherst College in Massachusetts riding on a partial athletic scholarship. He joined the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity wile in Massachusetts. He also graduated at McGill University, in Montreal, and Columbia University, Columbia. He later became a general surgeon and researcher, working and teaching at other universities and hospitals such as Freedman's Hospital, Montreal General Hospital, Morgan State University, and Howard University. After beginning his career he was selected in 1943 an examiner on the American Board of Surgery, he was the first African American (Black) person to hold this position.

What was/is the accomplishment(s) that this individual made in science and/or a related field?

Not only did he significantly advance doctors in the practice and research of Hematology (the study of blood), Blood Transfusions, and Plasma Physics, he also developed a way to store blood, deeming him the nickname "Father of the Blood Bank." He headed the "Blood for Britain" campaign in which he created the first blood banks by partnering with the Red Cross; this was done at the height of Adolf Hitler's assault in World War II. This campaign not only saved hundreds of soldiers' lives it also started a trend, which would save people all over the world who would have otherwise died of blood loss. This great feat also had a catch 22, it would rapidly spread the deadly AIDS virus, unknowingly.

Select ONE accomplishment and explain why this accomplishment was/is important?

The fact that he was admitted to the American Board of Surgery is just astounding. At the time blacks were rarely treated with respect, they were even feared. But his many accomplishments set him apart from most African American Blacks, in the fact that he had saved hundreds of lives had almost put him above the even white people. Another thing that he accomplished is that he created a system of storing blood and plasma, which is what made him so famous. He had saved many people from dying of blood loss, and that helped the U.S. military in fighting in World War II.

Based on your findings, would this Scientist's work be easier or more difficult in a different historical time or cultural setting? Please explain your response.

The scientist's work would be much easier if he was white. At the time he was extremely discriminated against because he was black, and that was part of the reason that he quit research, and went into a life of teaching kids, a much easier job without so much racism. He was almost driven crazy because of his skin color, and it angered him very much. But despite all this, he had done a great job and advanced the world in the art of hematology, and the general science of blood.