Hart, Alan L., 1890-1962

Alan L. Hart (also known as Robert Allen Bamford Jr., October 4, 1890 – July 1, 1962) was an American physician, radiologist, tuberculosis researcher, writer, and novelist. Hart pioneered the use of X-ray photography in tuberculosis detection; he worked in sanitariums and X-ray clinics in New Mexico, Illinois, Washington, and Idaho. For the last 16 years of his life, he headed mass X-ray programs that screened for tuberculosis in Connecticut. X-rays were not regularly used to screen for tuberculosis prior to Hart's innovation, and are still used today, which has led researchers to believe that he has saved countless lives. As a fiction author, Hart published over nine short stories and four novels, which incorporated drama, romance, and medical themes. Circa 1917, Hart became one of the first trans men in the United States to undergo a hysterectomy.