Disaster History  |  People  |  Wartime  |  Services  |  The Red Cross Movement  |  Structure and Governance

Responding to America's Wildfires
In mid-September of 1881, the 5-month-old American Red Cross had its first opportunity to test its abilities in one of the nation's worst wildfires.

A Look Back at Hurricane Preparedness
A series of articles describing the evolution of Red Cross hurricane preparedness efforts through some of the most infamous storms on record.

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the Red Cross Response
On April 18, 1906 an earthquake measuring 8.25 on the Richter scale struck San Francisco and subsequent fires destroyed some four square miles of the city. The Red Cross responded in cooperation with local authorities to ease the suffering of thousands of injured and homeless citizens. The Red Cross relief effort continued well after the initial crisis and helped reestablish the city.

Cherry Mine Disaster Leads to Workers' Compensation Laws
On November 13, 1909, over 250 miners were entombed in the St. Paul coal mine at Cherry, Illinois.

The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Red Cross Response
In 1918 the American Red Cross became a principal player in one of the largest and deadliest disease outbreaks in recorded history.

Clara Barton, Founder of the American Red Cross
Clara Barton is one of the most honored women in American history for being a true pioneer as well as an outstanding humanitarian. Famous as the "Angel of the Battlefield" during the Civil War, she founded the American Red Cross in 1881 at the age of 60 and led the organization for the next 23 years.

Jane Delano (1862-1919)
The life and accomplishments of Jane Delano, the founder of the American Red Cross Nursing Service.

Dr. Charles Drew
In 1941, Dr. Charles Drew became the first medical director of the first American Red Cross Blood Bank in the United States.

Jerome H Holland
Diplomat, Educator and Red Cross Volunteer Leader

Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow—Water Safety Crusader
Americans swimming at pools, lakes and beaches across the country owe a great debt to a true pioneer in the field of water safety, Wilbert E. Longfellow.

Lady Bird Johnson (1912-2007)
Among her many other duties and accomplishments, Mrs. Johnson served as a member and later as chairman of the Senate Wives Red Cross Unit for more than a decade. The Senate Wives would prepare comfort items for veterans’ hospitals and perform other production tasks at their monthly meeting at the Capitol.

Leaders of the American Red Cross
Brief biographies of the most important leaders of the American Red Cross, including all the presidents and chairmen who have served the organization since its creation in 1881.

Spanish-American War
The first war-related mission of the American Red Cross occurred in 1898 when the tiny organization responded to the country's need for assistance for the men who went off to fight the Spanish in Cuba and the Philippines.

World War I Accomplishments Of The American Red Cross
Europe was thrown into conflict in June 1914. At the beginning of the war, the American Red Cross was a small organization still in the process of developing its identity and programs. When the United States declared war against Germany on April 6, 1917, the organization began a period of extraordinary growth.

World War II Accomplishments Of The American Red Cross
The American Red Cross involvement in World War II preceded the entrance of the United States into the conflict. When hostilities began in Europe in 1939, the Red Cross became the chief provider of relief supplies for the civilian victims of conflict distributed by the Geneva-based International Red Cross Committee.

D-Day: The American Red Cross Side-by-Side with the Troops
Operation Overlord began on D-Day, June 6, 1944, with 175,000 American, Canadian, and British troops going ashore on the beaches of Normandy, France. Red Cross workers were not far behind, crossing the English Channel in the wake of the invasion to provide services to the U.S. armed forces.

Korean War
The Korean War began in 1950 when Communist forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea crossed the 38th parallel and invaded the Republic of Korea in the south.

Vietnam War
The first American Red Cross Field Director arrived in Vietnam in 1962 when America's role was limited to advising the South Vietnamese military. The Red Cross presence grew dramatically after the introduction of U.S. combat troops in 1965. The Red Cross stayed until the U.S. military pullout in 1973. In addition to services to the military, the American Red Cross provided extensive aid to Vietnamese and other refugees during the war and afterwards when thousands fled the region.

Nursing
Today's 40,000 Red Cross nurses continue a proud tradition of service that stretches back to the earliest days of the International Red Cross Movement and the founding of the American Red Cross. This abstract reports the important role of nursing in American Red Cross history.

Blood Program Milestones
The American Red Cross, an innovator and a leader in transfusion medicine and research, has provided generations of Americans with blood products that are safe and reliable. As one of the largest members of the blood banking community, the Red Cross is committed to biomedical research and the development of technologies that will save many lives in the future and further secure the nation's blood supply.

Gray Lady Service
A history of American Red Cross volunteers known as "Gray Ladies," who for many years provided non-medical services to sick, injured and disabled patients.

Health and Safety Services
The American Red Cross has provided health and safety services to people for nearly a century as part of the organization's mission of emergency prevention and preparedness.

Production Corps
One of the most popular volunteer units in Red Cross history, the Production Corps was able to manufacture and provide millions of surgical dressings and articles of clothing for soldiers, veterans and refugees.

Youth and the American Red Cross
In 1884 when the American Red Cross was three-years-old, a group of children raised over 50 dollars to help flood victims living on the banks of the Mississippi River. Young Americans have been involved in the American Red Cross ever since. This abstract chronicles the history of Red Cross youth volunteers.

Persons with Disabilities and the American Red Cross
One of the primary missions of the American Red Cross, as mandated by its 1905 Congressional charter, is to provide short-term relief to all victims of wars and natural disasters. This includes services to persons with disabilities as well as to those who acquire them as the result of such events. But the record of Red Cross relationships with persons with disabilities goes well beyond this first-line form of support. In addition to Red Cross programs designed to meet the specific needs of persons with disabilities, it includes a heritage of service provided by persons with disabilities as Red Cross volunteers and staff.

Railroad Cars in Service to the American Red Cross
Throughout its history the American Red Cross has relied on railroads to transport personnel and supplies for the critical activities it conducts on behalf of the public. On a few occasions, the Red Cross has put railroad cars to specialized uses in order to fulfill its mission. Here is a brief review of this unusual bit of Red Cross and railroad history.

Organizations of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
"The International Red Cross Movement." "The International Committee of the Red Cross." "The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies." "National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies." "The American Red Cross." What do these terms mean? What distinguishes them from one another?

The Geneva Conventions, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Rights of Prisoners of War
The Geneva Conventions are the primary legal documents of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) which encompasses humanitarian principles and international treaties that seek to save lives and alleviate suffering of both combatants and noncombatants during armed conflicts. The International Committee of the Red Cross is the principal humanitarian organization named in all four 1949 Geneva Conventions for carrying out many of the relief activities for victims of armed conflicts. The primary body of laws expressing the rights and protections of prisoners of war (POWs) are contained in the Third Geneva Convention.

On the Frontiers of History
Often at the frontier of American history, the American Red Cross has pioneered national campaigns for the relief of disaster victims, communications to the United States armed forces, health and safety training, and many other innovative services.

Red Cross Milestones
2006 marks the 125th anniversary of the founding of the American Red Cross. With celebration of that great milestone in mind, here's a list of Red Cross events that occurred in years ending with a "6" with anniversaries in 2006, plus others anniversaries for 2007. Consider making use of these milestones as you celebrate American Red Cross history.

Federal Charter of the American Red Cross
The relationship between the American Red Cross and the federal government is unique. The American Red Cross is an independent organization that is organized and exists as a nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organization pursuant to a charter granted to it by the United States Congress.

Presidents, Chairmen and Chief Executive Officers
The leadership structure of the American Red Cross from its founder and first President, Clara Barton, to its current leadership.

Red Cross Square: Headquarters of the American Red Cross
When Clara Barton headed the American Red Cross (1881-1904), she ran the organization from her home. Under the new leadership of Mabel Boardman, the organization moved first into the State-War-Navy Building and, in 1913, to a small building on the site that is now Red Cross Square. Since 1913, three permanent buildings and a sculpture garden have been built on Red Cross Square. Each building, and each sculpture in the garden, is detailed in this abstract.

March as Red Cross Month
Each year the President of the United States proclaims March "Red Cross Month." This abstract explains how the tradition came about. A copy of the American Red Cross Month, 2007 Proclamation is also included.

Membership and Volunteers
Provides the total number of members and volunteers from 1905 to 1998 as reported in the American Red Cross annual reports.

Chapters
This article provides a brief summary of the history of chapters and their place within the structure of the American Red Cross, along with a table showing the number of chapters by year since 1905.

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