Background
Arthur Elmer Belt was born April 10, 1893.
Arthur Elmer Belt was born April 10, 1893.
University of California, Berkeley.
He was also known as a collector of works relating to Leonardo da Vinci that now reside in the University of California, Los Angeles Library System. Early life and education He earned a bachelor"s degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1916, a master"s in 1917 and a doctorate"s in 1920. Doctor Belt was associate professor of urology and clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine.
Doctor Belt began performing male to female sex change operations after being contacted by Doctor Harry Benjamin.
Before the Christine Jorgensen story became headline news, Belt had been quietly performing sex changes for a few years. He performed primarily male-to-female operations but did perform a few female-to-male.
Some of his most well known patients were Patricia Morgan, Mario Martino and Aleshia Brevard. After family pressure, Doctor Belt finally ceased performing sex change operations in 1962.
Doctor and Mistress Belt gave some notable collections to Los Angeles-area academic libraries: The Upton Sinclair Collection to the Occidental College Library in 1950 The University of California, Los Angeles Elmer Belt Florence Nightingale Collection to the University of California, Los Angeles Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library in 1958 The Elmer Belt Library of Vinciana to the University of California, Los Angeles Arts Library in 1961.
Death and afterward Doctor Belt died in May 1980. 1951: honorary Phi Beta Kappa key.
Belt was a member of the first class taught by Herbert McLean Evans.
