Leonard Apt

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Dr. Leonard Apt, a professor of ophthalmology, has certainly made a lasting impression on the UCLA community through his unique scientific contributions in the field of pediatric ophthalmology and through his involvement in a variety of campus activities outside of the School of Medicine. He has the distinction of being the first physician board-certified in both pediatrics and ophthalmology and is recognized as a pioneer in creating pediatric ophthalmology as a new subspecialty. Apt established the first full-time division of pediatric ophthalmology at a medical school in the United States at UCLA. The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus recently award him with the first Distinguished Achievement Award for these accomplishments. Other prestigious awards recently conferred on Apt have included those by the Cincinnati Pediatric Historical Society, Jefferson Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania.

Outside of the UCLA Medical Center, Apt’s name and presence can be found in a variety of locations throughout campus. His interest in athletics extends well beyond cheering for our teams; he was the founder of the Wooden Center and is a member of the UCLA Athletic Department Coaches Round Table. He has served on the selection committee for the Alumni Association Professional Achievement and Outstanding Graduate Student Awards and as a member of the selection committee for the Bruin Belles.

Apt has been involved in support organizations nearly too numerous to mention. He has been active in the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts as member of the Steering Committee and benefactor of the Royce Center Circle. He served on the Gala and Dinner committees for “A Tribute to Harry Mancini,” where he secured major corporate donations that maximized financial contributions to the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts and the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Apt is a distinguished benefactor of Design for Sharing, which provides for children’s access to artistic activities at UCLA and was one of the first members to contribute a scholarship for talented public school students to attend the School of the Arts at UCLA.

Apt serves as vice president of finance, patron and member of the Advisory Board of the UCLA Friends of the Grunwald Center for the Graphic Arts. He is medical advisor and a member of the Board of Directors of the Jules Stein Eye Institute Affiliates. Apt is a charter member of the UCLA College of Fine Arts Dean’s Gold Medal Archive and the UCLA Film and Television Archive Council. He is a member of the Chancellor’s Associates and the UCLA First Century Society.

Apt’s interests have also led him to activities involving Los Angeles at large. He is a founder of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and a member of the Presidential Circle of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and several international wine and food societies as well as a judge at the “Wines of America” competition.