Tom Mandel (futurist)
Encyclopedia
Tom Mandel was born in Chicago, Illinois He served in the United States Marine Corps
in the Vietnam War
. In 1972, he was the first graduate of the "Futures program" at the University of Hawaii
. He then attended San Jose State College. He was then hired as a futurist by SRI International (formerly the Stanford Research Institute) in Menlo Park, California.
Mandel's consulting practice focused on social trend analysis and forecasting for a wide range of consumer products and technology companies, and he published several scenarios reports in collaboration with the Values and Lifestyles (VALS) program at SRI and as a senior consultant in SRI's Business Intelligence Center. In addition to his work at SRI, Mandel was an editor of Time Online and an early active participant in The Well, an influential online community
. His experiences in that community became the basis for Katie Hafner
's book, The Well: A Story of Love, Death & Real Life in the Seminal Online Community expanded from a Wired
magazine article.
On March 25, 1995, Tom Mandel posted on The Well that he was dying of lung cancer. He died eleven days later on April 6, 1995 at Stanford University
Hospital, listening to Beethoven
's Ninth Symphony
with his wife Nana. He was 49 years old.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. In 1972, he was the first graduate of the "Futures program" at the University of Hawaii
University of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
. He then attended San Jose State College. He was then hired as a futurist by SRI International (formerly the Stanford Research Institute) in Menlo Park, California.
Mandel's consulting practice focused on social trend analysis and forecasting for a wide range of consumer products and technology companies, and he published several scenarios reports in collaboration with the Values and Lifestyles (VALS) program at SRI and as a senior consultant in SRI's Business Intelligence Center. In addition to his work at SRI, Mandel was an editor of Time Online and an early active participant in The Well, an influential online community
Online community
An online community is a virtual community that exists online and whose members enable its existence through taking part in membership ritual. An online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as a Bulletin board system or one where only a restricted...
. His experiences in that community became the basis for Katie Hafner
Katie Hafner
Katie Hafner is a journalist who writes books and articles about technology and society. She was a technology reporter at The New York Times and was a contributing editor for Newsweek...
's book, The Well: A Story of Love, Death & Real Life in the Seminal Online Community expanded from a Wired
Wired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
magazine article.
On March 25, 1995, Tom Mandel posted on The Well that he was dying of lung cancer. He died eleven days later on April 6, 1995 at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
Hospital, listening to Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. A crucial figure in the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western art music, he remains one of the most famous and influential composers of all time.Born in Bonn, then the capital of the Electorate of Cologne and part of...
's Ninth Symphony
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
with his wife Nana. He was 49 years old.
External links
- Obituary by William H. CalvinWilliam H. CalvinWilliam H. Calvin, Ph.D., is an American theoretical neurophysiologist and professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a well-known popularizer of neuroscience and evolutionary biology, including the hybrid of these two fields, neural Darwinism...
- Time Magazine Obituary
- Gerard van der Leun - Memorial
- Mandel & van der Leun Rules of the Net