John Harvey Mangum, 1933-2012
July 18, 2012
John Harvey (J. H.) Mangum (aged 79), beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away in Orem, Utah, on July 14, 2012 after a long illness.
He was born April 16, 1933, to Milton and Vera Thomson Mangum, in Rexburg, Madison Co., Idaho. He joined three sisters, Marjorie, Adele and Lois. Another sister, Virginia, died shortly after birth. He spent his early years in Rexburg. The family moved to Logan, Utah for his father to attend Utah State University where he earned a degree in journalism.
John attended schools in Logan, Utah and Arlington Co., Virginia when his father, Milton worked as editor of the USDA monthly newsletter under the direction of Ezra Taft Benson, then Secretary of Agriculture. John went to the University of Utah for one year before serving in the North Central States Mission. He returned to Utah to attend Brigham Young University where he received both a BS and MS in Biochemistry. He received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Washington in 1963. He accepted a position on the biochemistry faculty at Brigham Young University, where he taught and conducted research until his retirement
The choice of a career in the sciences set him on a course of demanding research during which he made significant strides in discovering pathways for cures in various types of cancer. He spent a year on sabbatical at the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. He was known nationally and internationally for his contributions. He collaborated with researchers in various parts of the world and traveled throughout the U.S. and the world presenting his research findings.