Carruthers received a NASA Medal of Achievement for his discovery. Dr. Charles Drew was the first person ever to open a blood bank. He also developed the preserving technique for blood transfusions.

He corrected the problem, making the extraction of oil easier. Charles Drew, a surgeon, established the first American Red Cross blood bank and before that, developed a system of blood plasma storage.

In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies gave $100 million to the four historically Black medical schools, including $7.7 million to Charles R. Drew.