Dr. Marvin Samuelson - DVM 1956

Central Veterinary Conference 2005

Dr. Marvin Samuelson, Rogers, AR., was selected to receive a prestigious award from his alma mater, the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. The Alumni Recognition Award is in recognition for time and effort devoted to advancing veterinary medicine and for being an exemplary role model in his profession and community.

The award was presented at the annual convention of the Central Veterinary Conference in Kansas City, MO., on Aug. 27, 2005. Dean Ralph Richardson presented the award on behalf of the K-State Veterinary Medical Alumni Association.

Samuelson, who was born in Oketo, KS., and grew up near Frankfort, has had a distinguished 50-year career as a veterinarian, professor and veterinary consultant.
Samuelson cites growing up on a Kansas farm as an inspiration for pursuing a career as a veterinarian. “I always enjoyed livestock and pets, but I wasn’t just fixed on animals. I was also interested in the people who wanted to take care of animals.”

After earning his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from K-State in 1956, Samuelson entered the United States Army Veterinary Corps as a food safety officer. Stationed at Ft. MacArthur, CA., his unit helped maintain the safety of the food supply of the armed forces.

Following his military career, Samuelson owned a small animal practice in San Pedro, CA., from 1958-1973. A chance encounter with Dr. Jake Mosier, a long-time professor at the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine, led him back to K-State for a 15-year teaching career. Mosier asked Samuelson to head the small animal section at the Veterinary Health Center. “It was a surprise to me. I hadn’t even thought about teaching before,” Samuelson recalled. “It was one of the best moves I ever made. I had grown up in northeast Kansas, and it was an exciting thing to come back and be a part of where I came from.”

While at K-State, Samuelson also taught classes on dermatology, an area in which he specialized. In 1987 he took a position at Texas A&M University as director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital and assistant dean for public programs. After five years, Samuelson decided to return to his native Kansas where he opened a referral-only clinic in Topeka called Animal Dermatology and Allergy Associates. During this time, Samuelson also became a consultant for the Veterinary Allergy Reference Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., as their Midwest affiliate.

In 1998, Samuelson sold his practice and bought a motor home. He continued to consult while he and wife, Rubye, traveled the country for seven years. The Samuelsons recently built a new lakeside home just east of Rogers, Ark., where they enjoy boating, fishing and playing golf.

“There is life after retirement,” Samuelson said, proud that he was able to take his consulting business on the road while enjoying other hobbies. Still semi-retired, Samuelson attends about 10 meetings each year offering consultation on dermatology issues. “Veterinary Medicine has been good to me. It has allowed me to travel, to change my career within veterinary medicine, and every one of those changes was exciting,” Samuelson said.

Some of Samuelson’s professional involvements include memberships with the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners, American Association of Veterinary State Boards Executive Committee, American Academy of Veterinary Dermatology, Academy of Veterinary Allergy and Clinical Immunology, American Veterinary Medical Association and Kansas Veterinary Medical Association.