John Drew's Blood For Britain Project
arly years[edit]
Drew was born in 1904 into an African-American middle-class family in Washington, D.C. His father, Richard, was a carpet layer[3] and his mother, Nora Burrell, was a teacher.[citation needed] Drew and his siblings grew up in DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood[4] and he graduated from Dunbar High School in 1922.[5] Drew won an athletics scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts,[6] where he graduated in 1926.[7] An outstanding athlete at Amherst,[8] Drew also joined Omega Psi Phi fraternity.[9] He attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, receiving his M.D. in 1933 as well as a Master of Surgery degree,[7] and ranked 2nd in his class of 127 students.[7] A few years later, Drew did graduate work at Columbia University, where he earned his Doctor of Medical Science …show more content…
He was to collect, test, and transport large quantities of blood plasma for distribution in Great Britain.[11] Drew went to New York to direct the United States' Blood for Britain project. The Blood for Britain project was a project to aid British soldiers and civilians by giving US blood to Great Britain.
Drew created a central location for the blood collection process where donors could go to give blood. He made sure all blood plasma was tested before it was shipped out. He ensured that only skilled personnel handled blood plasma to avoid the possibility of contamination. The Blood for Britain program operated successfully for five months, with total collections of almost 15,000 people donating blood, and with over 5,500 vials of blood plasma.[11] As a result, the Blood Transfusion Betterment Association applauded Drew for his work. Out of his work came the American Red Cross Blood Bank.
Drew was born in 1904 into an African-American middle-class family in Washington, D.C. His father, Richard, was a carpet layer[3] and his mother, Nora Burrell, was a teacher.[citation needed] Drew and his siblings grew up in DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood[4] and he graduated from Dunbar High School in 1922.[5] Drew won an athletics scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts,[6] where he graduated in 1926.[7] An outstanding athlete at Amherst,[8] Drew also joined Omega Psi Phi fraternity.[9] He attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, receiving his M.D. in 1933 as well as a Master of Surgery degree,[7] and ranked 2nd in his class of 127 students.[7] A few years later, Drew did graduate work at Columbia University, where he earned his Doctor of Medical Science …show more content…
He was to collect, test, and transport large quantities of blood plasma for distribution in Great Britain.[11] Drew went to New York to direct the United States' Blood for Britain project. The Blood for Britain project was a project to aid British soldiers and civilians by giving US blood to Great Britain.
Drew created a central location for the blood collection process where donors could go to give blood. He made sure all blood plasma was tested before it was shipped out. He ensured that only skilled personnel handled blood plasma to avoid the possibility of contamination. The Blood for Britain program operated successfully for five months, with total collections of almost 15,000 people donating blood, and with over 5,500 vials of blood plasma.[11] As a result, the Blood Transfusion Betterment Association applauded Drew for his work. Out of his work came the American Red Cross Blood Bank.