Dr. David Madsen (PU DVM ’69) was named the 2019 recipient of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians’ Meritorious Service Award earlier this month during the association’s 50th annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding service to the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV).
Born into a Nebraska family that raised purebred Hampshire pigs, Dr. Madsen developed a determination to become a veterinarian after following a local veterinarian on his father’s farm. He earned his DVM degree at Purdue University in 1969 and remembers being the only member of his class with an interest in pigs. That same year he became a charter member of the American Association of Swine Practitioners (now AASV). He worked as a swine veterinarian and practice owner in Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, before moving to Nebraska to establish SwinePro Associates, LLC, in partnership with Dr. Jack Anderson in 1994. Dr. Madsen also served as the director of health services for Heartland Pork in Iowa, Premium Standard Farms/Murphy Brown in Missouri, and Smithfield in Princeton, Mo. During his career as a swine veterinarian and producer, Dr. Madsen has seen the emergence of many important swine diseases, including atrophic rhinitis, pseudorabies, circovirus, Streptococcus suis, and PRRS.
In 1992, Dr. Madsen assumed the responsibilities of a district director for the AASV Board and then served a term as AASV president in 2001. He also represented the AASV in the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) House of Delegates for 12 years, and was selected to represent all food animal veterinarians on the seven-member committee to write the AVMA Overarching Principles of Animal Welfare. As a member of the AASV Foundation Board, Dr. Madsen was integral in the support of future swine veterinarians. He proposed that the foundation develop a free pre-conference seminar for students and recent graduates by funding the speaker expenses. He also proposed the phrase, “Ensure Our Future: Leave a Legacy,” adopted as the motto by the AASV Foundation Board.
“AASV has been a large part of my professional, educational, and personal career, providing lifelong learning and introducing me to a large number of outstanding individuals,” Dr. Madsen said upon receiving the Meritorious Service Award. “Although it took me 23 years to become involved with association tasks, my involvement was both rewarding and enlightening, to say nothing of challenging and entertaining. I would trade my experiences through AASV with no other opportunities.”
Dr. Madsen retired in 2014. He and his wife Sandie now reside in Dillon, Mont., where he serves as swine outreach coordinator for the Montana Board of Livestock, working with 4-H and FFA groups across the state. He also works as a part-time general practitioner in a mixed-practice, and provides surgical services for the local animal shelter.