Call Me Tom

Meet President Thomas M. Mengler, J.D.

by Candace Kuebker, Contributing Editor


Thomas M. Mengler began the first day at St. Mary’s University by opening the doors to his office and inviting faculty and staff to stop by for a cup of coffee and a chat — not surprising for a man whose first words upon meeting him are, “Call me Tom.”

But how is it that this top law school graduate chose a career in academia? How did he get here?

A Desire to Teach Sets the Stage

Although Mengler began thinking about a career in teaching as early as high school, his route to higher education administration and St. Mary’s hasn’t been a straight line; rather, his circuitous journey allowed him to amass experiences that have prepared him to lead the University.

“Once I gave up the idea of becoming a Major League Baseball pitcher because of my meager athletic ability, I started to think about teaching,” he said with self-deprecating humor.

Born and raised in a large Catholic family in suburban Chicago, Mengler’s parents worked hard their entire lives and sacrificed to give their children opportunities that his parents never had. “In other words,” he said, “I grew up living the best chapter of the American story.”

After attending Carleton College in Minnesota where he graduated with honors, Mengler enrolled at The University of Texas, earning a master’s degree followed by a juris doctorate. Afterward, he clerked at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, practiced law at a large firm in Washington, and then returned to Texas, where he worked as an Assistant Attorney General.

Throughout, his desire to teach remained. “Even as I was practicing law, I kept in the back of my mind my goal of becoming an educator.”

Fate Intervenes in Life and Love

Moving back to the Lone Star State proved to be fortuitous. He was building his résumé practicing law in the government sector, and he met someone.

Tom Mengler and Mona Cuenod were living in Austin within two blocks of each other. They met on a Thursday in late January 1985, one day after he had been offered an assistant professorship at the University of Illinois College of Law.

“A mutual friend was introducing Mona to another guy, and I was along for the ride. We met at Scholz’s Garten, a favorite watering hole in Austin,” said Mengler. It turned out the other guy wasn’t Mona’s type. Tom was.

“What an incredible 24 hours. One day, I landed my dream job that launched my academic career, and the next day I met my future wife!”

Mengler was content teaching law and the couple started their family. (They have four children whose ages range from 18 to 24.) After several years on the faculty, the dean asked if he would consider serving as associate dean for Academic Affairs, and Mengler decided to give it a try. Soon he became dean, successfully leading the well-established law school for nine years.

Then, Mengler decided to take what many might consider a sizeable risk: He left for an upstart Catholic law school farther north.

Taking Risks and Welcoming Challenges

“Yes, it was a little crazy to move from Illinois to a brand new, unaccredited law school in Minnesota,” he said. “Some of my colleagues thought I had lost my mind.”

Mona, a native Texan, shivered at the thought of moving to Minnesota. But Mengler liked the challenge of building an excellent law school from the ground up. Plus, he and Mona were drawn to the Catholic mission of St. Thomas’ new law school. They packed up their things, and Mona bought a warmer coat.

Thus began Mengler’s 10-year tenure as dean of the University of St. Thomas School of Law. “The most satisfying feature of my time at St. Thomas is the depth and pervasiveness of the law school’s Catholic identity,” he said, “and the school’s mission is about helping students integrate their faith and values into their professional identities. They are encouraged to view their professional lives as a vocation and to understand that God calls us all to serve our communities. That’s a remarkable and distinctive mission.”

After spending most of two decades as a law school dean, Mengler was prepared for a new challenge. “For 19 years, I have been involved in the rich array of activities in which a university president must be engaged,” he said. “I believe I have grown as a leader and come to better understand the huge potential of an academically excellent Catholic university.

“At St. Thomas, I developed a passion for Catholic higher education and its integrated focus on faith, community and service,” he continued. “My search for a president position was limited to Catholic institutions. I would never consider working anywhere else.” It was St. Mary’s own distinguishing mission that triggered his pursuit of the presidency.

Building the Future on Faith

From the moment he began learning about St. Mary’s, “I came quickly to feel that St. Mary’s was the right place for Mona and me,” Mengler said. “Most exciting to me are its long-standing dedication to quality and excellence, and its huge potential to build an even stronger academic culture for students and faculty; and the University’s Catholic and Marianist mission is spot-on.”

“St. Mary’s is rightly proud of its strong community, and most important, of its understanding that it is living in community that we come first to accept and then to live God’s special call to each of us,” he said.

Mona will be an active partner as Mengler moves forward in his role as leader of St. Mary’s. “Mona is my best friend, the best woman I’ve ever known,” he says. “We are a team in every sense of the word, and the St. Mary’s community will get to know her as well as they get to know me.”

And he doesn’t expect living in San Antonio will be much of an adjustment. “I believe people in the central part of our country — whether in the Midwest or Southwest — have a lot in common. We tend to be friendly, trusting and modest. Community, family and friends are important. I believe those features describe San Antonio and especially St. Mary’s, whose commitment to community draws its inspiration from the simple fact that we are all God’s children.”

Mengler’s relaxed demeanor and friendliness both fit well with the Marianists’ emphasis on community and family spirit, and should serve him well as he takes the helm at St. Mary’s.

“I feel very much at home here. Trustees, faculty, staff, students and graduates of St. Mary’s have been very welcoming to Mona and me. For this warm embrace, we are sincerely grateful.”