Red Cross History

The Red Cross history is an illustrious one. It involves the dedication of many people who saw a need and sought to fill that need. It also reveals an organization that serves as a liaison with the American government while remaining an independent charitable organization. Over the years, the Red Cross has become a leader in disaster recovery.

The American Red Cross history began in Geneva, Switzerland under the guidance of Henry Dunant in 1859. Dunnant saw the battles take place in Italy that left those injured by war unattended and uncared for. That observation led to the creation of the International Committee of the Red Cross and later led to the first Geneva Convention.

About 20 years later, Clara Barton observed the usefulness of the International Red Cross and combined the resources of friends to create an American component of the Red Cross. The first American chapter of the Red Cross began on August 22, 1881. One of the first disasters that the American Red Cross addressed was a forest fire in Michigan. Barton also campaigned for American ratification of the Geneva Convention. That occurred when the Senate ratified the first Geneva Convention on March 16, 1882.

The Red Cross didn’t stop with immediate triage of disaster victims. As medical technology advanced, so did the Red Cross’ effort to provide optimal on-site support to victims. The Red Cross history includes blood-processing programs for war victims and others in need of relief. Under the Red Cross’ first medical director, Charles Drew, the National Blood Donor service was created to collect blood for members of the American armed forces in 1940. Eight years later, the donor service was extended to civilians at a center in Rochester, NY. During the Korean War, the Red Cross became the blood collection service.

The Red Cross continued to address victim needs with creative approaches to blood collection. In 1967, the Red Cross created a Rare Blood Donor Registry. This registry was designed for blood types that only exist once in every 200 people. It assures that anyone in need of blood will have it in times of need.

With the onset of the AIDS epidemic, Red Cross became a leader in HIV testing. In March of 1985, the Red Cross began testing all donated blood with the first FDA approved HIV test. In 1992, the Red Cross solely for the purpose of testing all Red Cross blood products built a testing lab in Massachusetts.

Throughout Red Cross’ history, it has been particularly instrumental during hurricane season. Red Cross was there during the most deadly hurricane in Galveston on September 8, 1900. Red Cross was able to provide support without evacuation systems or accurate weather reports. This is one of the first events where victims previously supported by Red Cross remembered the help they received and began to volunteer.

The Miami Hurricane of 1926 was a crucial marker for the Red Cross. By this time, an official manual existed offering guidance to Red Cross chapters for standard procedures during hurricanes. It would be the foundation for disaster recovery guidance.

In 1955, the Red Cross was stretched with back-to-back hurricanes. Hurricanes Connie and Diane occurred five days apart. The Red Cross was present at both events in addition to hundreds of other relief operations throughout the country. The 1950’s saw Red Cross evolve into a multi-tasking organization with significant enough infrastructure to sufficiently cover many disasters simultaneously.

Perhaps the most important goal achieved by the American Red Cross is the ability to provide a solid infrastructure for the spirit of volunteerism that the organization sparked. From 1914 to 1918, the numbers of American Red Cross chapters in American grow 36 times their original size. Millions continue to offer their money, time and efforts to help fellow citizens in times of war and natural disasters.

by Maurice Moss

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