Dr. Charles Drew Biography

The life and great journey of Dr. Charles Drew is one that has graced the pages of history books and the tongues of historians. His addition to the world as a whole is one that is still used today by many and has also save many lives. During his rise to greatness his was faces with many obstacles and many of them dealt with his the color of his skin and not by the content of his intelligence. Dr. Drew was a rare individual who seemed to dominate in everything he attempted and he would become a pioneer in the field of medicine. He has also used his intelligence to speak out against racial injustice during his lifetime.
Dr. Charles Drew was born June 3rd, 1904 in Washington D.C., he had a charmed childhood where he excelled in sports through his college years. He received his AB from Amherst University, where he graduated with honors in 1926. While Dr. Drew was attending Amherst University he became a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. In 1928, he entered medical school at McGill University. After
several internships in Canada, Dr. Drew became Instructor in Pathology at Howard University in 1936 as well as an Assistant in Surgery, where he worked on his ideas for blood preservation. By removing blood cells from blood, Dr. Drew lengthened the shelf life of stored blood, and was then able to organize the world’s first Blood bank in London during World War II. In 1941, Charles Drew resigned his position with the Untied States Army after the war department sent out orders that blood taken from white donors should not be mixed with black donors. This issue caused a lot of wide spread controversy everywhere. He said that there was no scientific basis to indicate any difference in human blood from race to race. It was rare in those days for African American males to be so outspoken in racial matters.
Dr.
Drew live a much fulfilled life and was not able to live see the fruits of his labor. There are many stories surrounding the death of the Honorable Dr. Charles Drew. The most widely known story surrounding his death says that Dr. Drew was killed in an automobile accident while on a medical meeting in 1950. His life could have been saved, but due to discrimination, white hospitals nearby did not give him the blood transfusion he needed. Charles Drew was a brilliant Scientist who was the first to organize blood banks and had a huge impact on the number of lives saved in World War II. Dr. Charles Richard Drew stood his ground and refused to participate in the discrimination of the 1940’s. Blood transfusions are still used everyday to save many lives daily. Dr. Drew had a lot going against him during this time period, but he came out on top. So I personally would like to say thank you Dr. Charles Drew for your medical expertise and contributions to our
society.