A Brief History of the American National Red Cross
Clara Barton and a circle of acquaintances founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881. Barton first heard of the Swiss-inspired international Red Cross network while visiting Europe following the Civil War. Returning home, she campaigned for an American Red Cross society and for ratification of the Geneva Convention protecting the war-injured, which the United States ratified in 1882.
Barton headed the Red Cross for 23 years, during which time it conducted its first domestic and overseas disaster relief efforts, aided the United States military during the Spanish-American War, and campaigned successfully for the inclusion of peacetime relief work as part of the International Red Cross Movement.
The Red Cross received its first congressional charter in 1900 and a second in 1905, the year after Barton resigned from the organization. This charter-which remains in effect today-sets forth the purposes of the organization that include giving relief to and serving as a medium of communication between members of the American armed forces and their families and providing national and international disaster relief and mitigation.
Prior to the First World War, the Red Cross introduced its first aid, water safety, and public health nursing programs. With the outbreak of war, the organization experienced phenomenal growth. The public contributed $400 million in funds and material to support Red Cross programs. The Red Cross staffed hospitals and ambulance companies and recruited 20,000 registered nurses to serve the military.
After the war, the Red Cross focused on service to veterans and enhanced its programs in safety training, accident prevention, home care for the sick and nutrition education.
The Second World War called upon the Red Cross to provide extensive services once again to the U.S. military, allies, and civilian war victims. It enrolled more than 104,000 nurses for military service, prepared 27 million packages for American and Allied prisoners of war, and shipped more than 300,000 tons of supplies overseas. At the military's request, the Red Cross also initiated a national blood program that collected 13.3 million pints of blood for use by the armed forces.
After World War II, the Red Cross introduced the first nationwide civilian blood program that now supplies nearly 50 percent of the blood and blood products in this country. During the 1990s, it engineered a massive modernization of its blood services operations to improve the safety of its blood products. It continued to provide services to members of the armed forces and their families, including during the Korean, Vietnam, and Gulf wars. The Red Cross also expanded its services into such fields as civil defense, CPR/AED training, HIV/AIDS education, and the provision of emotional care and support to disaster victims and their survivors. It helped the federal government form the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and serves as its principal supplier of mass care in federally-declared disasters.
While closely associated with the federal government in the promotion of its objectives, the Red Cross is an independent, volunteer-led organization, financially supported by voluntary public contributions and cost-reimbursement charges.
Local History
The American Red Cross of Medina County was formed on June 11, 1917 by Judge Nathan McClure, Lee Elliott, and C.D. Wightman. The Chapter served all of Medina County with the exception of Wadsworth and Wadsworth Township, where there was a separate chapter.
Early efforts of the chapter concentrated on making and gathering supplies for soldiers to be passed on through the national organization and boxes of clothing for the Belgian Relief Society. With the onset of WWII a blood donation program was started. Other war time projects included readying garments for shipment to the troops. The post-war years saw the introduction of many programs including the Junior Red Cross, first aid programs and water safety programs. In 2008 the Medina County Chapter and the Wadsworth Service Delivery Unit merged to unite the entire county.
Today, under the direction of Beth Kilchenman, there are four staff coordinating the efforts of approximately 500 volunteers. The Red Cross continues to fulfill its mission by helping our neighbors every day, whether they are down the street, across the country or around the world.