Charles Drew
A researcher and the first African-American physician to serve on the American Board of Surgery, Drew revolutionized medicine’s understanding of blood storage, drastically improving the odds that patients in need of a blood transfusion could get one. His research shed light on the role of plasma and how it could be safely used in transfusions. His discoveries were pivotal for the creation of blood banks and the world’s first bloodmobiles. Drew became a world authority on the collection, screening and preservation of blood. Working with the American Red Cross and Blood for Britain, he ultimately helped to save thousands of lives during World War II.