David Mangelsdorff

A. David Mangelsdorff, a professor and civilian health psychologist with the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration at the Academy of Health Sciences, has been at Fort Sam Houston since 1972.  He spent his career teaching and conducting applied research for the military. He mentored and taught for the Army-Baylor University Graduate Program in Health and Business Administration influencing hundreds of military officers of whom many went on to seek 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. His scholarship contributed significantly to documenting the evolution of the major contributions of psychology to national security and to defining the field of military psychology. His edited works included the Handbook of Military Psychology, Psychology in the Service of National Security, Military Cohesion, U. S. Army-Baylor University Health Care Administration 50 Year History, the military psychology section of the Encyclopedia of Psychology, APA Dictionary of Psychology, numerous conference and stress workshop proceedings, among his nearly 600  papers, presentations, and reports.  His professional recognition included: Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the South and Southwest, American Psychological Association Presidential Citation, Secretary of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service (two awards), Decoration for Meritorious Civilian Service (two awards), Federal Executive Association Employee of the Year, Legion of Merit, Order of Military Medical Merit, numerous Army-Baylor Health Care Administration Faculty Researcher of the Year and faculty service awards, educator of the year, and the Society for Military Psychology, American Psychological Association, John C. Flanagan Lifetime Achievements in Military Psychology award. His philanthropic interests included endowing multi-disciplinary professorships continuing his research and teaching in homeland defense and national security at Dartmouth College (Psychology and Brain Sciences), St. Mary's University (International Relations), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Medicine (Center for Public Health Preparedness and Biomedical Research), University of Delaware (Disaster Research Center), University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Allied Health Sciences (Physician Assistant program), University of Texas School of Public Health at San Antonio, University of the Incarnate Word, Baylor University, and Rutgers University. The endowed professorships represent a legacy of investing in multidisciplinary scholarship, higher education, national security, and homeland defense. With privilege, comes responsibility. Dr. Mangelsdorff felt privileged to have received superb educational experiences and opportunities such as the faculty Fulbright scholarship; he felt a responsibility for serving his nation and community. He was blessed watching his legacy (his graduate and undergraduate students) go on to be successful leaders in the armed services in the United States and abroad. His charge to his graduate students (mostly military officers): serve proudly; be a good steward of your blessings; return more than you receive.

An active scholar, Dr. Mangelsdorff was an energetic writer on military psychology, occupational health, operational stress, terrorism, patient attitudes, professional retention factors, psychological support, and curriculum outcomes.