Charles R. Drew
(1904-1950)
Medical Researcher, Surgeon

Charles R. Drew, medical researcher and surgeon, was a pioneer in the preservation of blood. Through his outstanding work on blood plasma, Dr. Drew helped save thousands of lives during World War II. The blood plasma bank he organized became the model for the system used nationwide today by the American Red Cross. In his position as chief surgeon and chief of staff at Freedman’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., Dr. Drew trained many of today’s distinguished black surgeons.

Images from the Scurlock Studio Archives are included in the slide show on this page (click on image to view slide show). Addison N. Scurlock was a prominent social photographer whose career began in the early 1900s, and spanned more than six decades.  His Washington, D.C. studio was a center for documenting the intellectual and cultural life of African Americans in the nation’s capital.  His camera focused on educators, artists, scientists, musicians, politicians, and, of course, on the general populace. 

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