Charles Richard Drew (June 3, 1904 – April 1, 1950) was an American physician, surgeon, and medical researcher. Drew was born into an African-American middle-class family in Washington, D. C. Drew won an athletics scholarship to Amherst College in Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1926. Known for his athleticism athlete at Amherst, Drew also joined Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He attended medical school at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, receiving his M.D. in 1933 as well as a Master of Surgery degree, and ranked 2nd in his class of 127 students. A few years later, Drew did graduate work at Columbia University, where he earned his Doctor of Medical Science degree, becoming the first African American to do so. He researched in the field of blood transfusions. He developed better techniques for blood storage, and applied his skills in developing blood banks early in World War II. The research and development aspect of his blood storage work is disputed. As the most prominent African-American in the field, Drew protested against the practice of racial segregation in the donation of blood, as it lacked scientific foundation, an action which cost him his job.