Hidden Gems in Black History: The Truth About What Happened To Charles Drew

Who Was Charles Drew? Black physician Charles Richard Drew invented “blood banks.” He led blood plasma projects in the US and UK during WWII but left due to a court requiring segregation of African American blood. On April 1, 1950, he died. Education After earning his bachelor’s degree at Amherst in 1926, Drew couldn’t afford medical school. Morgan College, now Morgan State University, near Baltimore, employed him as a biology lecturer and coach for two years. 1928, he applied to medical schools and enrolled at McGill University in Montreal. Drew was an outstanding student at McGill: neuroanatomy award winner and Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society member. Dr. Drew graduated second in 1933 with a Doctor of Medicine and Master of Surgery. The Royal Victoria and Montreal General Hospitals hosted his internship and residency. Drew explored blood transfusion concerns with Dr. John Beattie. After his father’s death, Drew returned to America. In 1935, he taught at Howard’s medical school. He worked at the university and then conducted a surgical residency at Freedmen’s Hospital in Washington, DC, the following year. Father of Blood Banks Drew studied at Columbia University and trained at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City on a 1938...