Charles R. Drew

medical hero · blood science · civil rights · World War II

Pioneer of blood banks. Charles Drew figured out how to store blood safely for long periods and created the first large-scale blood banks. This meant hospitals could keep blood ready to use in emergencies instead of waiting for fresh donations.

Saved countless soldiers. During World War II, Drew's blood banking system allowed doctors to give transfusions to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Thousands of Allied soldiers survived because of his invention.

Fought against injustice. Drew refused to accept that blood should be separated by race, because he knew it made no scientific sense. He bravely protested this racist policy and eventually resigned rather than support it.

Genius researcher. As an African American surgeon at a time of terrible racial discrimination, Drew became the world's leading expert on blood transfusions through hard work and brilliant experimentation.

Changed medicine forever. Before Drew's discoveries, blood transfusions were risky and unpredictable. His work turned blood banking into a reliable science that hospitals still depend on today.