Biography of: Dr. Charles R. Drew
Author: Jennifer Brown
Timeline
Leadership Style
Political Philosophy
Timeline
- June 3, 1904 Birth in Washington, DC
- 1922 Graduation from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School
- 1933 Received MD and CM (Master of surgery) degrees
- 1936-1938 Residency at Howard University Freedman's Hospital
- 1939 Married to Lenore
- 1940 Chosen by International Transfusion Association to organize "Blood for Britain"
- February 1941 Appointed Director of first American Red Cross Blood Bank
- 1944 Received the NAACP Springam Award for his contributions to humanity
- April 1, 1950 Died in a car accident in North Carolina
Leadership Style
Dr. Charles Richard Drew was born in Washington, D.C. on June 3, 1904. Although not directly associated with the Civil Rights Movement, Drew was a pioneer for Black Americans. Drew was an integral part of the strides made in blood research. He was responsible for creating a process to preserve blood and creating the first blood bank. He also created a process to collect blood plasma. Drew a surgeon and professor at Howard University Hospital. Drew died at age 45 after a car accident left him mortally wounded. "It was reported that Drew bled to death because the white hospital would not admit him. Ironically, the surgeon, scientist, scholar, whose life's work was devoted to saving others was denied access to the methods and procedures he invented to save his own life."
From the beginning of his life Drew was an exceptional individual. He began his education in a public elementary school and graduated from Paul Lawrence Dunbar High School in 1922. In high school he lettered in four sports. Because of his athletic ability he was awarded a scholarship to Amherst College, where he continued to play sports. He later accepted a position at Morgan State College where he taught Chemistry and Biology and coached football. Drew chose to go to medical school at McGill University School of Medicine in Quebec, Canada. Drew later graduated third in his class of one hundred and thirty-seven. After graduating from medical school he took a position at the Royal Victoria Hospital and Montreal General Hospital. He was then appointed to a residency in surgery at Howard University Hospital. He later had a residency at New York City's Presbyterian Hospital. Through this residency he was able to pursue postgraduate work at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Drew gave his dissertation on "Banked Blood: A Study in Blood Preservation." While working on his dissertation he met his mentor Dr. John A. Scudder, who later became Drew's partner and co-worker in blood research. Dr. Drew was the first African- American to receive the Doctor of Science in Medicine. Drew was later credited with creating the first blood bank.
In wartime, many soldiers were mortally wounded but because of the invention of the blood bank many soldiers' lives were saved on the battlefield. Drew was asked to head a "Blood for Britain" project. The creation of the blood bank saved untold soldiers lives. In 1941 Drew was appointed the Director of the first blood bank and was able to provide blood to soldiers wounded at Pearl Harbor. After working with the Red Cross for an extended period of time he chose to part ways with them because he disagreed with their position on the use of "whites only" blood. The organization took the stand that whites and blacks had differing types of blood. Dr. Drew stated that "The blood of individual human beings may differ by blood type groupings but there is absolutely no scientific basis to indicate any difference according to race." In 1944 the NAACP awarded Dr. Drew with the Springam Award for his contribution to humanity.
In April of 1950 Dr. Drew was on his way to Tuskegee, Alabama with a group of other black men. They chose to drive because of Jim Crow laws that would not allow black men to ride anywhere in the train that they chose to sit. The men chose to drive instead and got in an accident in North Carolina. At the age of 45 he bled to death in a ditch because the white hospital close by would not admit him. All of the research and work that Drew put into blood research could not save his life because of the color of his skin.
Although Dr. Charles Drew was not directly involved with the Civil Rights Movement he had a direct affect on the movement and its leaders. He influenced the black male to reach for goals that were before unattainable. Through his death, society was able to see that judging people because of their skin color is wrong, and should not be done. When he chose to leave his position with the Red Cross he showed his innovational argument type. He felt that there was no difference in he and any other man and took a nonviolent stand on his views. He chose to be a quiet leader, one who led by example rather than words spoken out about those in power. He chose to work within the system to bring about change. He chose to educate instead of challenging people to hate. This unknown man was definitely a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement and should be recognized for his achievements for society and the African-American R
Political Philosophy
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