African Americans on Postage Stamps

Dr. Charles Drew

Surgeon, Teacher, and Scientist

35-cent Charles Drew stamp
The Charles R. Drew stamp was issued June 3, 1981.

Any person who has received a lifesaving blood transfusion owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Charles Drew, an eminent surgeon, teacher, and scientist. In 1940, Dr. Drew devised the system to process and store large amounts of plasma, and that system is still used today. For his work in the blood plasma projects, Dr. Drew received the Spingarn Medal from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in 1944.

The Black Experience