Scott
Roland B. Scott
Roland B. Scott
Roland B. Scott, MD, (1909-2002) is credited with establishing the foundation of the clinical and policy framework for sickle cell disease (SCD). As early as 1955, Dr. Scott reported one of the first detailed U.S. case series of hemoglobin SC disease in siblings, documenting anemia, splenomegaly, and hereditary transmission patterns. Additionally, he was among the first to report growth impairment, recurrent fevers, and acute pain episodes. These early clinical descriptions provided the first data-driven foundation for the management of pediatric SCD.
Dr. Scott also wrote a series of articles highlighting the inadequate funding allocated to research and patient care for children with SCD. In both JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine, he made the case that sickle cell anemia is paradoxically characterized by “high prevalence and low priority,” highlighting the profound neglect of the genetic disease in the U.S. These publications provided the groundwork for the 1972 Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act, landmark legislation that established federally funded treatment and research centers, screenings, and education initiatives for SCD.
Drew
Charles Drew, MD, CM, MDSc, (1904-1950) was a professor and head of the Department of Surgery at Howard University Medical School and chief surgeon of Freedmen's Hospital, one of only two Black hospitals in the U.S. at the time.
While working toward his doctorate, Dr. Drew focused his research on blood preservation techniques, such as de-liquification, which eventually led him to oversee the “Blood for Britain” program during World War II. He was later appointed director of the first American Red Cross Blood Bank at Presbyterian Hospital and assistant director of blood procurement for the National Research Council. In these positions, Dr. Drew’s strategy on blood preservation informed large-scale transfusion practices at the height of World War II, saving thousands of lives.