University of California: In Memoriam, 1986

Walter Smith Mangold, Public Health: Berkeley


1895-1978
Professor Emeritus

Walter S. Mangold, a pioneer in Environmental Health Science, is remembered on this, the fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the University of California School of Public Health. He began his professional career in 1924 when he joined the Los Angeles Country Health Department as a sanitary inspector and ultimately became Chief District Sanitarian. During this time, he recognized the importance of environmental sanitation practice and the need for better trained personnel in this area. As a result, he developed one of the earliest and best inservice training programs for sanitarians. His efforts in this regard were recognized on both national and international levels.

In 1936 he was invited to be an Instructor in Sanitary Science at the University of Southern California School of Government and, subsequently that year, was invited by Dr. K. F. Meyer, of the Berkeley Department of Bacteriology and Director of the Hooper Foundation, to develop a sanitary-science training program for active practitioners. This association led to the development of an environmental-health division in the University's Student Health Service. Professor Mangold was destined to head this program until the time of his retirement and to see it develop into a model for the health and safety programs of other colleges and universities throughout the country. He continued to work with Dr. Meyer on a number of technical studies in the field of sanitation and, in 1942, was appointed lecturer in the Department of Bacteriology. He joined the faculty of the School of Public Health with its establishment in 1944 and developed the program in Sanitary Science. Under his direction, the program flourished and grew into the present Environmental Health Sciences group of the School.

During World War II he became very active in the training of Naval Officers in aspects of environmental health required to meet war emergency needs. His devotion to this activity was tireless and selfless. From this activity a long-lasting and fruitful relationship between the School of Public Health and the Naval Preventive Medical Corps was joined.


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Walter Mangold's professional achievements were legion. He was the recipient of many awards and accolades. His efforts resulted in the elevation of the sanitarian to high professional status through education and training. He was a founding member of the National Association of Sanitarians (now known as the National Environmental Health Association) and established The Sanitarian and, as its first editor-in-chief, worked towards professionalization of the public-health inspector to sanitarian. This publication is now known as The Journal of Environmental Health . He was instrumental in the development of educational and professional standards for sanitarians and spearheaded the institution of state registration for this profession. As a result of these efforts, he came to be considered one of the most outstanding persons in the field of sanitary science. In 1956, in recognition of these life-long achievements, he was presented the first Walter S. Mangold Award, which has since been awarded annually by The National Environmental Health Association to the year's outstanding sanitarian.

Walter Mangold was not only a successful professional and educator, but also a fine human being. His personal integrity and high character were ever evident in all his teaching and professional activity. Those of us who were his students found him to be a demanding teacher yet a compassionate person who always had an ear for student problems. Those who were his associates held him in the highest esteem. He was a devoted family man and is survived by his wife, Bohumila Plecity Mangold, a daughter, Jane McLees of Sumter, South Carolina, two sons, Robert of Fairfield and Donald of Berkeley, California, four grandchildren and five great-grand-children. He will always be remembered by his colleagues and students with great admiration and deep affection.

Robert C. Cooper A. Harry Bliss William J. Oswald

About this text
Courtesy of University Archives, The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000; http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info
http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb767nb3z6&brand=oac4
Title: 1986, University of California: In Memoriam
By:  University of California (System) Academic Senate, Author
Date: 1986
Contributing Institution:  University Archives, The Bancroft Library, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-6000; http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/info
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