A brief history of the American Red Cross, By Dr. Lamont Tyler

1. A brief history of the
American Red Cross
BY DR. LAMONT TYLER

2. A brief history of the American Red Cross
In addition to serving as OSF St. Joseph Medical Center’s Medical Director, Specialty Physician
Services, Dr. Lamont Tyler is actively involved with his local chapter of the American Red Cross.
Responsible for providing disaster relief to millions across the globe, the organization is one of
the world’s largest and most respected humanitarian agencies.

3. A brief history of the American Red Cross
Founded by Clara Barton in 1881, the Red Cross began by providing relief to victims of natural
disasters such as fires, floods, and hurricanes. Over the years, its role grew to providing food and
shelter to people displaced by disasters. After World War I, the Red Cross grew enormously,
sending thousands of nurses overseas and helping to establish veterans’ organizations . World
War II heralded the beginning of the agency’s blood-collection efforts to help wounded soldiers,
and those efforts extended to civilians after the war. Today, the Red Cross is the single largest
supplier of blood products in the US, relying on nearly 4 million people’s blood donations to
supply 40% of the country’s blood supply.

4. A brief history of the American Red Cross
The Red Cross is present in 187 countries and draws on a network of over 13 million volunteers,
including Dr. Lamont Tyler.