Daisy Corprew (j. 1970; d. 2003), mother of All Souls member Barbara Corprew, started coming with her daughter in 1958 at the urging of All Souls members Dr. and Mrs. Garrett Ridgley. She was active in All Souls’ Senior Concerns Committee and the Friendly Seniors, and volunteered in the church office.
She was a protege of the late Dr. Charles R. Drew, who was chairman of the Department of Surgery at Freedmen’s Hospital (precursor to Howard Hospital), who selected her to become the hospital’s first student in the newly emerging field of anesthesia. When she completed her training, she was one of seven Black nurse anesthetists in the country to become certified in anesthesia.
Corprew went on to serve 33 years at the hospital, 19 years as the hospital’s chief nurse anesthetist in the Department of Surgery. She also founded Howard University’s School of Anesthesia program for nurses and taught there from 1964 to 1971, before retiring in 1974.
Corprew graduated from Freedmen’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1940 and worked for a time as a private duty nurse for burn patients being treated by Dr. Drew.