On October 21, 1993, the New York Times reported the death of one of the most beautiful minds in surgery:
Two brief paragraphs to sum up a dedicated, productive life with countless innovations!
Dr Ariel was born on July 25, 1911. He earned his MD degree at the University of Iowa in 1936. His postgraduate work during the next 6 years included positions as intern at Paterson General Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey, assistant in pathology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, New York, cancer fellow at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, and surgical fellow at the Memorial Hospital in New York, New York. During his cancer fellowship at the University of Rochester, he obtained an MS degree in radiology. After his surgical fellowship, during and immediately after World War II, he spent 4 years in the United States Army Medical Corps as a captain stationed in Belgium.