Charles R. Drew

Charles R. Drew ( born June 3, 1904 in Washington, DC; † April 1, 1950 in North Carolina ) was an American surgeon and transfusion medicine specialists.

Life

Charles R. Drew developed for his doctorate during a research stay at New York's Columbia University ( 1930) which is now globally recognized method of separating blood products in blood plasma and cell concentrate and freeze separately, to make them more durable. During World War II he was Director of the Blood for Britain project donations, then director of the blood bank of the Red Cross. He was publicly known, because he abolished the previous, unscientific practice, according to the white U.S. soldiers should receive blood only from white donors. After the war he taught at Howard University in Washington.

Drew died in a car accident. An urban legend has it that a neighboring hospital refused to admit him because of his skin color. Eyewitnesses, however, the refuted. The misrepresentation received, among others, by a reference in an episode of the television series M * A * S * H ( Season 2, Episode 9) widespread.

1981 Drew was dedicated a postage stamp in the Great Americans series, many schools bear his name. In 2010, the United States Navy named a cargo ship of the Lewis and Clark class according to him, the USNS Charles Drew (T- AKE -10).