This Day in History: 1945-03-21
When a Mahwah woman, Mrs. Greene, was on the point of death in Hawthorne, Mahwah officials turned to a novel method of seeking blood donors to save her. Fire Chief Monroe rang the fire alarm. When the company reported he asked for volunteers to give blood. Five came forward and three of them, Police Chief Smith, Charles Morris and W. J. Wrathall went down to Hawthorne to be tested. Morris was chosen and the transfusion was made. The technology of saving blood in Blood Banks had not yet been perfected in those days so direct transfusions were the only way to give blood.
(Bristow)