Professor A. David Mangelsdorff Biography

Compiled by Dr. A. David Mangelsdorff. Copyright © 1972-2025, A. David Mangelsdorff.

Professor A. David Mangelsdorff, Ph.D., M.P.H., FAPA, FAAAS, FAPS

Colonel, MSC (USAR, retired)

BIOGRAPHY

It is written in Ecclesiastes that there comes a time and to everything, there is a season. Dr. A(rthur) David Mangelsdorff, professor emeritus with Baylor University is a health psychologist, Fulbright faculty scholar, research consultant, theatre patron, military officer (full colonel, Army, MSC), civil servant, and traveler over many seas and paths. A noted scholar, teacher, and philanthropist, this Damn-Yankee's life is a quest for expanding his knowledge, solving problems, teaching, writing, and testing the limits. He has published scholarly works in seven decades.
Born in New York City in 1945, he is the only son of Dr. Arthur F. Mangelsdorff and Maesie Rowland Mangelsdorff, and grandson of Max F. Mangelsdorff and Antonia Kleineberg. An active genealogist, he is the twelfth (and last) generation of Mangelsdorffs who trace their paternal German roots into the 1500s and shared connections to several founding families in the American colonies. On his maternal side, he is a sixth generation Ro(w)land with Scots-Irish roots.
Raised in Plainfield, New Jersey, in 1962 Mangelsdorff attended an introductory course to science, mathematics, and computer technology at the University of New Hampshire. He won the Navy Cruiser award at the Greater Newark Science Fair competition in 1962. He graduated from Plainfield High School where he was in the National Honor Society and received the Optimist Club Award at graduation. In 1963, he went to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, earned honors, was in the Green Key Honor Society, co-chaired the Cosmopolitan Club, edited his class yearbook, and conducted independent psychophysiological research during his senior year. He studied English literature at Oxford University where he learned to appreciate Chaucer's description of the Oxford (student) clerk who was ready to "gladly learn and gladly teach." Following graduation in 1967, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the USNR, served temporary duty clinical research clerkships, and conducted psychophysiological research at the Submarine Medical Research Laboratory in Groton, Connecticut. He attended the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware on NASA and teaching fellowships, earning master and doctorate degrees in Psychology in 1972. He was recognized as a member of Psi Chi (psychology) and Sigma Xi. After commissioning through Army ROTC, he came to San Antonio in 1972 to teach drug and alcohol education at the Medical Field Service School at Fort Sam Houston as an Army reserve uniformed psychologist. Later as a civil servant, he served as technical director for the Health Care Studies and Clinical Investigation Activity at Fort Sam Houston. He earned a master's degree in English from St. Mary's University and a master in public health from the University of Texas School of Public Health in San Antonio. He graduated from the National Defense University in 1990. Mangelsdorff spent the majority of his odyssey teaching and conducting applied research.
In 1972, the Medical Field Service School at Fort Sam Houston changed its name to the AMEDD Center and School. The Center hosts 12 graduate programs with Baylor University. The first Army-Baylor University graduate program began in 1951. Four military officer students of the hospital administration program earned master of hospital administration (MHA) degrees in 1953. Since then, over 2,800 federal student graduates have earned MHA degrees from Baylor University through the Army-Baylor University Master of ([hospital]/health care) program.
From 1973 through 2016, Mangelsdorff mentored and taught for the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration influencing over 1,300 military officers of whom at least 50 went on to earn doctorates. In his work as a faculty research fellow for the Baylor Oral History Institute, he documented the history and contributions of the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration to federal healthcare. With Dr. Larry Johnson, he interviewed almost 50 graduates and program directors about their Baylor experiences. The publication Health Care Statesmen Forged Under Fire: The Army-Baylor University Master of [Hospital]/Health Administration Program Story analyzed the graduate program accomplishments.

EDUCATION

National Defense University Washington, District of Columbia, US, 1986 to 1990, National Security Management certificate (National Security).
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, US, 1981 to 1982, M.P.H. (San Antonio, Public Health).
St. Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas, US, 1979 to 1980, M.A. (English).
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, US, 1968 to 1972, Ph.D. and M.A. (Psychology).
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, US, 1963 to 1967, A.B. (Liberal arts).

EMPLOYMENT

Baylor University, Waco, Texas, US, 2016 to present, Professor Emeritus (Health and Business Administration).
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, US, 1997 to present, Alumni Class of 1967 Necrologist (Dartmouth College Class of 1967).
Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, US, 1997 to 2017, Alumni Class of 1967 Secretary (Dartmouth College Class of 1967).
Baylor University, Waco, Texas, US, 2010 to 2016, Oral History fellow (Institute for Oral History).
AMEDD Center & School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, US, 1994 to 2016, Professor, Army-Baylor MHA/MBA (Army Civil Servant) (Health and Business Administration).
United States Department of the Army: Arlington, Virginia, US, 1974 to 2016, Department of the Army Civil Servant (Medical Field Service School/AMEDD Center & School).
Fulbright Program, Washington, District of Columbia, US, 2003 to 2003, Fulbright Faculty Scholar (German-American Fulbright Scholars).
United States Department of the Army: Arlington, Virginia, US 1971 to 2000, Army Military Officer (MSC) Army Military Medical Department (AMEDD).
North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Brussels, Brussels Capital, BE, 1989 to 1994, Chairperson, Research Study Group 22 (Psychological Support).
AMEDD Center & School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, US, 1974 to 1993, Army Civil Servant Psychologist (Healthcare Studies & Clinical Investigation).
AMEDD Center & School, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, US, 1973 to 1993, Adjunct professor, U.S. Army-Baylor MHA (Health and Business Administration).
Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory Groton, Connecticut, US. 1967 to 1968. Ensign, USNR. (Temporary Active Duty).
University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, US, 1968 to 1972, Teaching assistant, NASA fellow, lecturer (Psychology).

HONORS

MILITARY OFFICER: Army colonel, MSC (retired)

Army Legion of Merit medal
Army Meritorious Service medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service medal
Order of Military Medical Merit
Together We Served
Silver Caduceus Association

PSYCHOLOGIST

Member, Sigma Xi Research Society
Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow, American Psychological Society (American Association for the Advancement of Science)

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION

Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA)
American Psychological Association, Presidential Citation for Service.
APA Division 19 (Military) J.C. Flanagan award for Lifetime Achievements in Military Psychology.
APA Division 19 (Military) Presidential Award in Military Psychology.
Military Psychology (Gersoni) Award for Outstanding Scientific and Professional Contributions.

FEDERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD SAN ANTONIO

Employee of the Year, 1982
Professional Employee of the Year, 1985

PROFESSOR AND SCHOLAR

Army-Baylor MHA/MBA

Professor Emeritus, Baylor University, ~
Fulbright Faculty Scholar, ~
Fellow, Baylor University Institute of Oral History, ~
Army-Baylor MHA Faculty awards (service, education 2x, research 6x), ~

VOLUNTEER

Target 90, Goals for San Antonio
Bexar County Medical Society, Disaster Response Committee
American Red Cross, Mental Health Committee,
Alamo Theatre Arts Council,
24th Street Experiment Theatre

RECOGNITION

Professor Emeritus, Mentor, Scholar, and Historian, Baylor University, Hankamer School of Business, Waco, Texas, 2016 to present. ~
Decoration for Exceptional Service. United States Department of the Army Arlington, Virginia, 2016.
Professor Emeritus, Baylor University, Hankamer School of Business Waco, Texas, 2016. ~
Upsilon Phi Delta honorary healthcare administration society, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 2008.
Healthcare Researcher of the Year, South Texas Chapter, American College of Healthcare Executives, San Antonio, Texas, 2007. ~
Decoration for Exceptional Service. United States Department of the Army, Arlington, Virginia, 2007.
Legion of Merit medal, Department of the Army Arlington, Virginia, 2000.
Decoration for Meritorious Service, Department of the Army. Arlington, Virginia, 1995.
Fellow, American Psychological Society, Washington, District of Columbia, 1992.
Order of Military Medical Merit, AMEDD Regiment, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, 1991.
Decoration for Exceptional Service. United States Department of the Army. Arlington, Virginia, 1988.
Professional Employee of the Year, 1985, Federal Executive Board San Antonio.
Fellow, American Association For The Advancement of Science, Washington, District of Columbia, 1984.
Employee of the Year, 1982, Federal Executive Board San Antonio, Texas.
Decoration for Meritorious Service, United States Department of the Army, Arlington, Virginia, 1981.
Fellow, American Psychological Association, Washington, District of Columbia, 1980 to present (Divisions: Military Psychology (Division 19) and Health Psychology (Division 38).
Sigma Xi, Durham, North Carolina, 1972.
Psi Chi, Psychology honor society, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 1972.
Green Key Society, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, 1966.
Optimist International Club award, Plainfield, N.J., 1963.
Navy Cruiser Award, physics, Greater Newark Science Fair, Newark, N.J., 1962.
Marquis Who’s Who, several times.

MUSINGS

Health Care Statesmen Forged Under Fire: The Army-Baylor University Master of [Hospital]/Health Administration Program Story San Antonio, Texas, Shweiki Media, 2017.
APA Dictionary of Psychology Military Psychology terms, Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association, 2006.
Psychology in the Service of National Security, Washington, D.C., American Psychological Association, 2006.
Army-Baylor MHA Program History, Army Medical Department Journal, AMEDD Center and School, Fort Sam Houston, TX, 2005.
Handbook of Military Psychology Chinese translation, Beijing: China Light Industry Press, 2004.
Encyclopedia of Psychology Military Psychology, Oxford University Press and American Psychological Association, 2000.
Handbook of Military Psychology John Wiley, Ltd., 1991.

HISTORIAN

This section summarizes some of the reports and histories compiled by Dr. Mangelsdorff. He followed the narratives of the Athenian historian and general Thucydides who advocated reading and learning lessons from history. Incorporating technology to digitalize and store documents, Mangelsdorff worked with librarians to make reports and documents available for access. The following are some of his projects.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

The Dartmouth College Alumni Magazine has been published from 1905 to the present. Mangelsdorff established a trust to digitalize and make the entire collection available.

ARMY-BAYLOR UNIVERSITY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN HEALTH ADMINISTRATION

The Army relationship with the Graduate School at Baylor University began in 1951. The Army-Baylor Story reports the history of Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health Administration. It is the oldest of the twelve Baylor University graduate programs associated with the Army at Fort Sam Houston. The story includes links to demographics, program outcomes, class cohorts, notables, faculty and staff, and graduate management projects.

ARMY-BAYLOR UNIVERSITY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION

Graduate management projects and reports from student cohorts from 1951 thru 2009 are available from DTIC.

OPERATIONAL STRESS

Mental Health Advisory Teams
Military Cohesion: A Special Issue in Military Psychology.
Lessons learned and forgotten: The need for prevention and mental health interventions in disaster preparedness.

OPERATIONAL STRESS CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

A number of operational stress conferences and workshops were conducted in San Antonio starting in the 1980s into the 2000s. The intent was to assist military commanders, mental health personnel, and community first responders to be aware of current procedures for assisting persons affected by stressors (e.g. hijackings, hostages, wartime, and civilian disasters). Proceedings of presentations and reports were collected and made available. Many of the lessons learned were made available to NATO Research Study Groups dealing with operational stresses. The reports are available from the Defense Technical Information Center.

NATO Conferences and Workshops

The reports are available from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

NATO RSG Psychological Support for Military Personnel. Proceedings International Stress Workshop 1994.

Proceedings: NATO Partners for Peace Workshop 1995.

Proceedings: NATO Partners for Peace Workshop 1997.

San Antonio Conferences and Workshops

The reports are available from the Defense Technical Information Center.

Mental Health Consequences of Recent Disasters: From Oklahoma City to Katrina. April 3-6, 2006.

Disaster Preparedness and Response. The 1st Annual Preceptor Appreciation symposium hosted for Physician Assistant Studies, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, August, 2007. ~

San Antonio Health Professionals Disaster Conference: Recovery and Beyond, School of Health Professions, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX, May, 2009.

Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare Workers & Those Who Care for Vulnerable Populations, San Antonio, TX, October, 2014.

ARMY PSYCHOLOGY CONFERENCES