Dr. Charles Drew began his blood bank research in 1938 at Columbia University’s Presbyterian Hospital, where he developed a method to increase the shelf life of blood plasma. Drew was the first African American to receive a doctorate degree from Columbia University and went on to lead the ‘Blood for Britain’ campaign during World War II that saved thousands of soldiers’ lives.
His daughter, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis, discusses her father’s life and achievements with the PBS NewsHour and says, “We knew him as a father, and my dad was strict. He was loving. He had the same mantra: ‘Excellence of performance will overcome any artificial barriers.’” Jarvis now works with American Red Cross chapters to educate people about the importance of blood donations.
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