Wikipedia

Charles R. Drew

This article is about the medical researcher. For other people, seeCharles Drew (disambiguation).

Charles Richard Drew(June 3, 1904 – April 1, 1950) was an Americansurgeonand medical researcher. He researched in the field ofblood transfusions,developing improved techniques for blood storage, and applied his expert knowledge to developing large-scaleblood banksearly inWorld War II.This allowed medics to save thousands ofAlliedforces' lives during the war.[1]As the most prominentAfrican Americanin the field, Drew protested against the practice ofracial segregationin the donation of blood, as it lacked scientific foundation, and resigned his position with theAmerican Red Cross,which maintained the policy until 1950.[2]

Charles Richard Drew
Charles Richard Drew
Born(1904-06-03)June 3, 1904
Washington, D.C.,U.S.
DiedApril 1, 1950(1950-04-01)(aged 45)
Burlington, North Carolina,U.S.
Alma materAmherst College
McGill University
Columbia University
Known forBlood banking,blood transfusions
AwardsSpingarn Medal
Scientific career
FieldsGeneral surgery
InstitutionsFreedman's Hospital
Morgan State University
Montreal General Hospital
Howard University
Doctoral advisorJohn Beattie

Early life and education

Charles Drew's 1922 Dunbar High School yearbook entry.

Drew was born in 1904 into anAfrican-Americanmiddle-class family inWashington, D.C.[3]His father, Richard, was a carpet layer[4]and his mother, Nora Burrell, trained as a teacher.[5]Drew and three (two sisters, one brother) of his four younger siblings (three sisters and one brother total) grew up in Washington's largely middle-class and interracialFoggy Bottomneighborhood.[5][3]From a young age Drew began work as a newspaper boy in his neighborhood, daily helping deliver over a thousand newspapers to his neighbors. Drew attended Washington'sDunbar High Schoolwhich was well known for its equality and opportunities for all, despite the racial climate at the time.[6]From 1920 until his marriage in 1939, Drew's permanent address was inArlington County, Virginia,[7]although he graduated from Washington's Dunbar High School in 1922 and resided elsewhere during that period of time.[5][8]

Drew won an athletics scholarship toAmherst CollegeinMassachusetts,[9]where he played on the football as well as the track and field team, and later graduated in 1926.[6]After college, Drew spent two years (1926–1928) as a professor of chemistry and biology, the firstathletic director,and football coach at thehistorically blackprivateMorgan CollegeinBaltimore, Maryland,to earn the money to pay for medical school.[5][10][11]

For his medical career Drew applied toHoward University,Harvard Medical Schooland laterMcGill University.[6]Drew lacked some prerequisites for Howard University, and Harvard wanted to defer him a year, so to begin medical school promptly, Drew decided to attendMcGill's medical schoolinMontreal,Canada.[12]

It was during this stage in his medical journey that Drew worked with John Beattie, who was conducting research regarding the potential correlations betweenblood transfusionsand shock therapy.[13]Shockoccurs as the amount of blood in the body rapidly declines which can be due to a variety of factors such as a wound or lack of fluids (dehydration). As the body goes into shock, both blood pressure and body temperature decrease which then causes a lack of blood flow and a loss of oxygen in the body's tissues and cells. Eventually, it became clear that transfusions were the solution to treating victims of shock, but at the time there was no successful method of transportation or mass storage of blood, leaving transfusions to be extremely limited to location.[13]

At McGill, he achieved membership inAlpha Omega Alpha,a scholastic honor society for medical students, ranked second in his graduating class of 127 students, and received the standardDoctor of MedicineandMaster of Surgerydegree awarded by theMcGill University Faculty of Medicinein 1933.[7][9]

Freedman's Hospital between 1910 and 1935

Drew's first appointment as a faculty instructor was for pathology atHoward Universityfrom 1935 to 1936.[14]He then joinedFreedman's Hospital,a federally operated facility associated with Howard University, as an instructor in surgery and an assistant surgeon. In 1938, Drew began graduate work atColumbia Universityin New York City on the award of a two-yearRockefeller fellowshipin surgery. He then began postgraduate work, earning hisDoctor of Scienceat Surgery at Columbia University. He spent time doing research at Columbia'sPresbyterian Hospitaland wrote a doctoral thesis, "Banked Blood: A Study on Blood Preservation,"based on an exhaustive study of blood preservation techniques.[14]It was through this blood preservation research where Drew realized blood plasma was able to be preserved, two months,[6]longer through de-liquification, or the separation of liquid blood from the cells. When ready for use the plasma would then be able to return to its original state via reconstitution.[15]This thesis earned him his Doctor of Science in Medicine degree in 1940, becoming the first African American to do so.[12][16]The District of Columbia chapter of theAmerican Medical Associationallowed only white doctors to join, consequently "... Drew died without ever being accepted for membership in the AMA."[17]

Blood for Britain

In late 1940, before the U.S. enteredWorld War IIand just after earning his doctorate, Drew was recruited byJohn Scudderto help set up and administer an early prototype program for blood storage and preservation. Here Drew was able to apply his thesis to aid in the blood preservation and transportation. He was to collect, test, and transport large quantities ofblood plasmafor distribution in the United Kingdom.[18]Drew understood that plasma extraction from blood required bothcentrifugationand liquid extraction. Each extraction was conducted under controlled conditions to eliminate risk of contamination. Air concealment, ultraviolet light andMerthiolatewere all used to mitigate the possibility of plasma contamination.[9]

Plasma transfusion package and extractor used to collect plasma from donors

Drew went to New York City as the medical director of the United States' Blood for Britain project. It was here that Drew helped set the standard for other hospitals donating blood plasma to Britain by ensuring clean transfusions along with properaseptic techniqueto ensure viable plasma dispersals were sent to Britain.[12]The Blood for Britain project was a project to aid British soldiers and civilians by giving U.S. blood to the United Kingdom.

Drew created a central location for the blood collection process where donors could go to give blood. He made sure all blood plasma was tested before it was shipped out. He ensured that only skilled personnel handled blood plasma to avoid the possibility of contamination. The Blood for Britain program operated successfully for five months, with total collections of almost 15,000 people donating blood, and with over 5,500 vials of blood plasma.[18]As a result, the Blood Transfusion Betterment Association applauded Drew for his work.

American Red Cross Blood Bank

Drew's work led to his appointment as director of the firstAmerican Red CrossBlood Bank in February 1941. He also invented what would be later known asbloodmobiles,mobile donation stations that could collect the blood and refrigerate it; this allowed for greater mobility in terms of transportation and increased prospective donations.[3]The blood bank supplied blood to the U.S. Army and Navy, who initially rejected the blood of African-Americans and later accepted it only if it were stored separately from that of Whites.[3]Drew objected to the exclusion of African-Americans' blood from plasma-supply networks, and in 1942 he resigned in protest.[19]

Academic achievements

In 1941, Drew's distinction in his profession was recognized when he became the first African-American surgeon selected to serve as an examiner on theAmerican Board of Surgery.[20]

Drew had a lengthy research and teaching career, returning to Freedman's Hospital and Howard University as a surgeon and professor of medicine in 1942. He was awarded theSpingarn Medalby theNAACPin 1944 for his work on the British and American projects. He was given an honorary doctor of science degree, first byVirginia State Collegein 1945 then by Amherst in 1947.[19]

Personal life

Minnie Lenore Robbins with NIH Director, Donald Frederickson, unveiling of bust and exhibit of her husband, 1981

In 1939, Drew married Minnie Lenore Robbins, a professor of home economics atSpelman CollegeinAtlanta, Georgia,whom he had met earlier during that year.[21]They had three daughters and a son.[5]His daughterCharlene Drew Jarvisserved onCouncil of the District of Columbiafrom 1979 to 2000, was the president ofSoutheastern Universityfrom 1996 until 2009, and was a president of the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce.[22]

Death

Illustration of Drew byCharles Alstonin the collection of theNational Archives

Beginning in 1939, Drew traveled toTuskegee,Alabama,to attend the annual free clinic at theJohn A. Andrew Memorial Hospital.[23]For the 1950 Tuskegee clinic, Drew drove along with three other black physicians. Drew was driving around 8 a.m. on April 1. Still fatigued from spending the night before in the operating theater, he lost control of the vehicle. After careening into a field, the car somersaulted three times. The three other physicians sustained minor injuries. Drew was trapped with severe wounds; his foot had become wedged beneath the brake pedal.

When reached by emergency technicians, he was in shock and barely alive due to severe leg injuries. Drew was taken toAlamance General HospitalinBurlington, North Carolina.[24]He was pronounced dead a half hour after he first received medical attention. Drew's funeral was held on April 5, 1950, at theNineteenth Street Baptist ChurchinWashington, D.C.

Despite a popular myth to the contrary, once repeated on an episode ( "Dear Dad... Three") of the hit TV seriesM*A*S*Hand in the novelsCarrion ComfortandThe 480,Drew's death was not the result of his having been refused hospital access because of his race. According to John Ford, one of the passengers in Drew's car, Drew's injuries were so severe that virtually nothing could have been done to save him. Ford added that a blood transfusion might have actually killed Drew sooner.[24][25][26]This myth spread, however, because it was not then uncommon for black people to be refused treatment because there were not enough "Negro beds" available or the nearest hospital only serviced whites.[27]

Legacy

Charles Richard Drew House
2012

Numerous schools and health-related facilities, as well as other institutions, have been named in honor of Drew, including theMartin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Centerin Los Angeles.

Medical and higher education

K-12 schools

Mural of Doctor Charles R. Drew at the Charles Richard Drew Educational Campus / Intermediate School in the Bronx, NY

References

Notes

  1. ^"Patent For Preserving Blood Issued November 10, 1942; Washingtonian's invention made blood bank possible"(Press release). Brigid Quinn,United States Patent and Trademark Office.November 9, 2001. Archived fromthe originalon February 11, 2009.RetrievedFebruary 3,2009.
  2. ^Inventions, Mary Bellis Inventions Expert Mary Bellis covered; films, inventors for ThoughtCo for 18 years She is known for her independent; documentaries; Alex, including one about; Bellis, er Graham Bell our editorial process Mary. "All About the Inventor of the Blood Bank".ThoughtCo.Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  3. ^abcd"The Father of Blood Banking: Dr. Charles R. Drew".San Diego Blood Bank. January 31, 2019.RetrievedMay 19,2023.
  4. ^"Fifteenth Census of the United States (1930) [database on-line], Arlington Magisterial District, Arlington County, Virginia, Enumeration District: 7–11, Page: 6B, Line: 69, household of Richard T. Drew".United States:The Generations Network. April 14, 1930.RetrievedAugust 15,2013.
  5. ^abcde"The Charles R. Drew Papers".U.S. National Library of Medicine.RetrievedAugust 25,2012.
  6. ^abcdTan, Siang Yong; Merritt, Christopher (2017). "Charles Richard Drew (1904–1950): Father of blood banking".Singapore Medical Journal.58(10): 593–594.doi:10.11622/smedj.2017099.ISSN0037-5675.PMC5651504.PMID29119194.
  7. ^abc(1)"Charles Richard Drew House".National Historic Landmark summary listing.National Park Service. Archived fromthe originalon December 31, 2007.RetrievedApril 11,2008.
    (2)Graves, Lynne Gomez, Historical Projects Director, Afro-American Bicentennial Corporation (February 2, 1976)."National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form: Charles Richard Drew House".National Park Service.Archived fromthe original(pdf)on January 17, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 17,2019.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)and"Accompanying 4 photos, exterior, from 1920 and 1976".National Park Service.Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 17,2019.
  8. ^(1)Blitz, Matt (February 20, 2017)."Charles Drew Lived Here".Arlington Magazine.Archived fromthe originalon February 4, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 4,2019– via GTexcel.
    (2)Drew, Charles B. (April 7, 1995)."Stranger Than Fact".The New York Times.RetrievedAugust 25,2012.
  9. ^abc"Charles Richard Drew".American Chemical Society.RetrievedMay 11,2021.
  10. ^"Former Morgan Professor Dr. Charles Drew Inducted into National Inventors Hall of Fame".Morgan State University. May 11, 2015.RetrievedNovember 20,2018.
  11. ^"Morgan State Bears Hall of Fame".Morgan State Bears football team.RetrievedNovember 20,2018.
  12. ^abc"Biographical Overview".Charles R. Drew – Profiles in Science.March 12, 2019.RetrievedMay 11,2021.
  13. ^ab"Education and Early Medical Career, 1922–1938".Charles R. Drew – Profiles in Science.March 12, 2019.RetrievedMay 11,2021.
  14. ^ab"Charles R. Drew, MD | Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science".cdrewu.edu.RetrievedMay 11,2021.
  15. ^"Charles Drew".Biography.September 3, 2020.RetrievedMay 11,2021.
  16. ^Drew, Charles R. (May 31, 1940)."Letter from Charles R. Drew to Edwin B. Henderson"(PDF).Bethesda, Maryland:National Institutes of Health:National Library of Medicine.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 18, 2019.RetrievedJanuary 17,2019.On Tuesday I get the degree of Doctor of Science in Medicine.
  17. ^Wynes, Charles E. (1988).Charles Richard Drew: The Man and the Myth.Internet Archive. University of Illinois Press (Urbana). p. 84.ISBN978-0252015519.
  18. ^abStarr, Douglas P. (2000).Blood: An Epic History of Medicine and Commerce.New York: Quill.ISBN0688176496.
  19. ^ab"Charles R. Drew, MD | Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science".
  20. ^"The Charles R. Drew Papers –" My Chief Interest Was and Is Surgery "– Howard University, 1941–1950".Profiles in Science.National Library of Medicine.RetrievedSeptember 17,2013.Other sources put the date as late as 1943, e.g.,PBS's Red Gold.
  21. ^BiographybyUnited States National Library of Medicine
  22. ^(1)"Ward 4 Member of the Council of the District of Columbia".District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. Archived fromthe originalon July 16, 2008.
    (2)Hallman, Lesly."Legacy and Memory of Charles Drew Lives On".American Red Cross.Archived fromthe originalon November 27, 2004.RetrievedJune 4,2004.
    (3)"Board of Trustees: The Honorable Charlene Drew Jarvis, PhD, Secretary".The National Health Museum. January 2007. Archived fromthe originalon August 23, 2007.RetrievedApril 1,2007.
  23. ^Schraff, Anne E. (2003),Charles Drew: Pioneer in Medicine,Enslow Publishing, Inc.
  24. ^ab"Question of the Month: The Truth About the Death of Charles Drew".Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia.June 2004. Archived fromthe originalon December 12, 2013.RetrievedNovember 19,2013.
  25. ^"Did the black doctor who invented blood plasma die because white doctors wouldn't treat him?".The Straight Dope.November 1989.RetrievedFebruary 18,2014.
  26. ^Sluby, Patricia Carter (2004).The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity.Greenwood Publishing Group. pp.112–113.ISBN978-0275966744.OCLC260101002.RetrievedFebruary 18,2014.
  27. ^Sternberg, Steve (July 29, 2015)."Desegregation: The Hidden Legacy of Medicare".U.S. News & World Report.RetrievedNovember 19,2021.
  28. ^Charles Richard Drew Memorial Bridgeat The Historical Marker Database.
  29. ^Asante, Molefi Kete(2002).100 Greatest African Americans:A Biographical Encyclopedia.Amherst, New York:Prometheus Books.ISBN978-1573929639
  30. ^Charles Drew Health Center
  31. ^About Dr. Charles R. DrewArchived2006-09-01 at theWayback Machine,Charles Drew Charles Drew Science Enrichment Laboratory, Michigan State University
  32. ^Charles R. Drew Wellness CenterArchivedJune 5, 2009, at theWayback Machine,City of Columbia.
  33. ^"Washington D.C. American Red Cross".redcrossblood.org.RetrievedMay 19,2020.
  34. ^Charles R. Drew HallArchived2006-08-27 at theWayback Machine,Howard University
  35. ^"Amherst College page on the house".Archived fromthe originalon August 10, 2015.
  36. ^"Charles Drew Premedical Society".columbia.edu.RetrievedDecember 26,2017.
  37. ^Charles R. Drew Elementary School,Miami-Dade County Public Schools
  38. ^Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary SchoolArchivedJune 4, 2006, at theWayback Machine,Broward County Public Schools
  39. ^"Frequently Asked Questions".Bluford Drew Jemison S.T.E.M. Academy. Archived from the original on September 14, 2010.RetrievedMarch 22,2013.
  40. ^Green, Erica L. (June 11, 2013)."City school board approves three new charters".The Baltimore Sun.Baltimore. Archived fromthe originalon February 21, 2019.RetrievedFebruary 20,2019.
  41. ^Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary SchoolArchived2019-05-22 at theWayback Machine,Montgomery County Public Schools
  42. ^"Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School".Arlington Public Schools.Archived fromthe originalon January 18, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 22,2021.
  43. ^"Welcome to Drew".Arlington Public Schools.Archivedfrom the original on June 7, 2017.RetrievedFebruary 22,2021.
  44. ^Fehling, Leticia."Drew Academy".
  45. ^"NYC Department of Education Maps".schools.nyc.gov.NYC Department of Education.RetrievedMay 19,2023.

Further reading

  • Love, Spencie (1996),One Blood: The Death and Resurrection of Charles R. Drew,Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, (1997 reprint)ISBN0807846821
  • Organ, Claude H., editor (1987),A Century of Black Surgeons: The USA Experience,Transcript Press, Vol. I,Asa G. Yancey, Sr.,Chapter 2: The Life Of Charles R. Drew, MD,ISBN0961738006.
  • Schraff, Anne E. (2003),Dr. Charles Drew: Blood Bank Innovator,Enslow,ISBN0766021173
  • Wynes, Charles E. (1988),Charles Richard Drew: The Man and the Myth,University of Illinois Press,ISBN0252015517
Wikimedia Commons has media related toCharles R. Drew.
Wikiquote has quotations related toCharles R. Drew.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Charles_R._Drew&oldid=1275801229"