Discover the Unbelievable: Top 15 Fun Facts About Blood Bank Pioneer Charles Drew

1. Dr. Acula the Athlete

Who knew Dr. Acula had a sporty side: Charles Drew not only made life-saving advancements in blood transfusions but was also a multi-talented athlete in high school and college, excelling in football, basketball, baseball, and track, landing an athletic scholarship at Amherst College, and becoming a professor of chemistry and biology, as well as the first athletic director and football coach at Morgan College before attending medical school.
Source => prologue.blogs.archives.gov

2. Vampire's Dinner Leftovers

Before Charles Drew turned the world of blood storage into a bloody good party game with his incredible contributions, blood preservation was about as efficient as a vampire trying to save his dinner leftovers: Charles Drew revolutionized blood storage techniques, extending the shelf-life of plasma to a week, pioneered plasma-only transfusions, and essentially kickstarted the development of modern blood banks.
Source => healthmatters.nyp.org

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=> Fun Facts about Alice-Ball

3. Blood Preserver Extraordinaire

Move aside, Benjamin Franklin, we've got a new preserver in town - a blood preserver, that is: Charles Drew revolutionized blood storage by separating plasma from erythrocytes, bumping up its shelf life to a whopping two months, a game changer for trauma and war victims in need of blood transfusions.
Source => ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

4. Blood Bank & Civil Rights Hero

When Charles Drew wasn't busy auditioning for the role of Vampire Slayer: he masterminded the National Blood Bank, orchestrated the lifesaving Blood for Britain program during the Blitz, and championed black physicians' rights – all without breaking a sweat or having a single garlic clove in sight.
Source => nationalww2museum.org

5. Dracula's Snack Supplier

When Dracula needs a snack but runs on human time: Meet Dr. Charles Drew, the unsung hero who pioneered the preservation of blood plasma and organized America's first large-scale blood bank, ultimately saving thousands of lives during World War II and revolutionizing blood storage techniques used by the American Red Cross today.
Source => acs.org

6. Spilling Blood for Good

When it comes to spilling blood, Charles Drew was a cut above the rest – and we don't mean in a vampire kind of way: As the pioneering developer of blood plasma storage and transportation systems, Drew helped establish the National Blood Bank, spearheaded the Blood for Britain campaign during WWII, but eventually resigned due to racial segregation policies.
Source => nationalww2museum.org

7. Bloody Inconvenience

Oh, the irony of a life-saving pioneer facing a bloody inconvenience: Charles Drew, the medical maestro behind the US National Blood Bank during WWII and mobile blood donation stations, ended up resigning from his game-changing position when racial segregation got all mixed up in blood donations. Thankfully, this didn't keep him from continuing to train and inspire the next generation of Black surgeons, significantly leaving his mark on medical history.
Source => nationalww2museum.org

8. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Track-and-Field

Not just another Michael Jordan on the field, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. 'Track-and-Field' Hyde, Charles Drew knew how to put all his blood, sweat, and tears to good use: He was a groundbreaking pioneer in blood plasma research, the first African American to hold a Doctor of Science degree in Surgery, and the recipient of the NAACP's distinguished Spingarn Award in 1944.
Source => morganstatebears.com

9. Un-BOO-lievable Legacy

When Dr. Charles Drew wasn't auditioning for his role as the real-life Dracula's best frenemy or mastering the unspoken art of blood mixology: He became known as the "Father of Blood Banking" for his groundbreaking work on blood preservation, making transfusions safer and more efficient. In tribute to his un-BOO-lievable legacy, McGill University launched the Charles R. Drew Graduate Fellowships to support Black students and increase representation among future bloodsucker busters and blood bank buffs.
Source => mcgill.ca

10. Good Guy Dracula

If Dracula were a good guy, he'd be Charles Drew: This blood-loving doctor revolutionized blood preservation and transfusion during WWII, saving countless lives by heading the Blood for Britain Project, sending liters of plasma across the pond, and inventing the mass-production of dried plasma – a medical kit staple for frontline soldiers. His innovations dramatically changed blood banking and transfusion therapy practices globally!
Source => acs.org

11. Blood Storage LinkedIn Star

When Charles Drew wasn't busy creating LinkedIn endorsements for vampires, he was revolutionizing blood storage: As an esteemed African American scientist and surgeon, Drew's pioneering research led to the development of blood plasma preservation methods, crucially supplying the US Armed Forces with its first blood bank during World War II, and saving countless lives.
Source => postalmuseum.si.edu

12. College Sports Field Day

Before Charles Drew became a bloodthirsty pioneer in medicine, he literally had a field day in college sports: At Amherst College, Drew not only excelled athletically but also received the Mossman trophy for his contributions to athletics over a four-year period.
Source => cdrewu.edu

13. Dracula's Dinner Party Chef

If Dracula were hosting a dinner party, Charles Drew would be his top chef: Drew's innovative work in blood preservation and transfusion was crucial in saving lives during World War II, including the establishment of America's first large-scale blood bank and shipping thousands of liters of plasma to Britain, all while overcoming racial barriers.
Source => acs.org

14. Athletics Superstardom

Before the world knew Charles Drew as a trailblazing visionary in blood-banking, he was busy collecting a different kind of "medal of honor" – the type earned on the sports battlefield, to the tune of athletics superstardom: This medical pioneer was a four-sport standout in high school, going on to become the pride of Dunbar High School with the coveted James E. Walker Medal for both his junior and senior years, before chasing down an athletic scholarship to Amherst College, where he continued outpacing opponents on the track and gridiron.
Source => profiles.nlm.nih.gov

15. Lifesaver and Bridge Builder

Like a literal lifesaver building a bridge over medically troubled waters: Dr. Charles R. Drew orchestrated the first red cross blood bank during World War II, collecting a whopping 14,500 pints of plasma for British soldiers and establishing vital techniques that revolutionized the military's blood program.
Source => health.ucdavis.edu