Off Canvas Desktop

Off Canvas Mobile

David Mandel ’88 Receives 2024 Award for Distinguished Achievement

On the eve of the Presidential Election, parents, alumni, and friends of HM gathered in celebration at Edison Ballroom to honor David Mandel ’88, a Horace Mann School graduate who has forged an acclaimed career in television writing, producing, and directing.

More than 200 guests were on hand at the November 4th dinner to celebrate Mandel, who is the 2024 recipient of the Alumni Association’s Award for Distinguished Achievement. Sporting a vintage 1980's Horace Mann necktie, Mandel had the audience in stitches as he shared memories and stories from his many years at HM.  

Mandel graduated in 1992 from Harvard University where he concentrated in government and began writing comedy as an editor of the Harvard Lampoon. He is the two-time Emmy Award-winning show runner and executive producer of Veep. Besides Veep, where he was nominated for three writing Emmys, he also wrote for such shows as Saturday Night Live; Seinfeld, where he wrote “The Bizarro Jerry” (aka "Man-Hands")

Members of the Class of 1988 were on hand to honor their classmate and friend David Mandel '88. 

and “The Betrayal” (the “backwards” episode with Peter Mehlman); Curb Your Enthusiasm; and even an episode of The Simpsons (“Treehouse of Horror XXIII” co-written with Brian Kelley). He is the co-writer of the films Eurotrip and The Dictator and if you press him on it The Cat in the Hat.
 

David's directing credits include Veep (Emmy-nominated for “Kissing Your Sister,” “Groundbreaking,” and the series finale), Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Comedians, Eurotrip (uncredited), and most recently the five-part HBO limited-series White House Plumbers. He is also the co-author of Star Wars Art:  Ralph McQuarrie and is an avid collector of original comic book art, Star Wars memorabilia, and movie props. Since 2020, he has co-hosted “The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of,” a podcast all about prop-collecting. He can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @davidhmandel.

The recipient of the Award for Distinguished Achievement is selected annually by the Alumni Council, on behalf of the Alumni Association. First presented in 1939, the award recognizes a Horace Mann School graduate who exemplifies distinguished achievement in their chosen profession or field of talent. Past winners include Pulitzer Prize winners, artists, poets, writers, scientists, entertainers, doctors, inventors, lawyers, judges, and other notables.