Manley Mandel

Age 88



Manley was born in Philadelphia in 1923 to Rose (nee Goodman) and Irving (Mendy) Mandel, although the family moved to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn when he was an infant. He has two younger siblings: Bill is an artist who worked as director of graphic arts for PBS and now lives on a farm in Buckingham, PA, where he is still active in his studio. Penny, now 80, worked as a shoe model, then did educational testing. She lives with her husband in Chevy Chase, MD, where she remains active and still plays tennis. They grew up as a tightly-knit family surrounded by aunts, uncles and cousins.


Manley attended local public schools, then went to the new Jr. High, Seth Low. He was selected to attend Stuyvesant High School, still the premier High School for science. He then majored in biology and chemistry at Brooklyn College, graduating in 1943. He immediately went into the army and was sent to the Univ. of Illinois to study civil engineering. In early 1944 he was assigned to the 8th Armored Division as a medical technician - ambulance driver. After a motor pool injury he was assigned to the 4th army for dispensary duty in Louisiana and Texas until demobilization in 1946.

Since Manley was eligible for the GI Bill and disabled veterans benefits, he was guaranteed support for education up to any level. He started out at Brooklyn College, then went to Michigan State, where he received a Masters in microbiology in 7 months. Next he went to the University of California at Davis for 2 years, following his former mentor. He completed his Ph.D. in Microbiology at Michigan State in 1952. After graduating he went back to New York, then to New Jersey, where he met Audrey through family connections. They were married in August, 1952.

Manley joined the faculty of the University of Massachusetts in the department of bacteriology and public health. He did research and taught there for nearly 11 years. During that period, he and Audrey had three children (see Audrey's history). Manley's research on intergeneric hybridization with E. coli led to an invitation to go to Harvard, where he got into modern molecular biology. He had a sabbatical year in 1962 at Brandeis University. In 1963 he was invited to start a Section of Molecular Biology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and he remained in that position for 18 years, retiring in 1981. Later he joined Dr. Emil Steinberger, the founder of The Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Endocrinology (TIRME), as Director of Education. Manley's second retirement was in 2003 at age 80.

Manley says that his most traumatic experience was the unexpected death of his mother when she was 62.

Over the years, Manley has had a wide variety of interests and activities outside of his professional career. He and Audrey used to enjoy sailing and they had boats for a number of years. They both enjoy playing bridge, and continue to play frequently. Manley has a passion for the collection and cultivation of orchids which continues to this day. Recently he has been interested in the propagation of Coleus plants and he has a large collection in their greenhouse. He also is an avid reader, mostly mysteries and historical novels. He and Audrey live independently, travel frequently, exercise regularly, and attend many cultural events in Houston, including theater and ballet.