title: The legacy of Charles R. Drew, MD, CM, MDSc.
abstract: April 2011 marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the American Red Cross Blood Services (ARCBS). In this report, we present a biography of Dr. Charles Drew, the first medical director of the ARCBS. Although many may recognize Dr. Charles Drew for this position, the research and training that led him to be uniquely qualified to take this position may not be as well known. We present his professional training, his research on blood preservation and distribution, and his service to the larger medical community and country. Lastly, we address the many myths that have arisen over the years since his untimely death at the age of 45 on April 1, 1950, and present the legacy of Dr. Charles Drew that has largely been unknown to the greater medical and scientific community.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Translational Sciences, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Bryan A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Wendi G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Monte S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Willis
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006405:Hematology / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008486:Physician Executives; D011287:Prejudice; D012011:Red Cross / Q000266:history*; D014481:United States