Dr. Armond Samuel Goldman

Armond Samuel Goldman passed away at age 92 at his home in Galveston, Texas, on January 16, 2023. He was born in San Angelo, Texas, on May 26, 1930.  His parents, David and Rose (Gottesfeld) Goldman, were first-generation Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe. He spent his childhood in San Angelo, where his father served as rabbi. A prodigy, Dr. Goldman attended the University of Texas at Austin, and graduated from The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) with an MD at the age of 23. He interned at the US Public Health Service Hospital in New Orleans, LA, served in the US Army for two years, and completed a Residency in Pediatrics at UTMB, where he was Chief Resident. He was a full-time member of the UTMB faculty for 42 years and was conferred Professor Emeritus in 2002. 

Armond Goldman was a medical leader. Over the course of his career, he at various times directed the Texas Poison Control Center, the Division of Immunology and Allergy at UTMB Department of Pediatrics, and the Division of Pediatric Immunology at the Galveston Shriner’s Burn Institute. He advocated for protecting children from burns via standards like reducing the flammability of sleepwear and making space heaters safer. He was also a leader nationally in service to the NIH, La Leche League International, and the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation. 

Throughout his life, Dr. Goldman was the ideal physician – the model of a caring and compassionate doctor who had incredible diagnostic skills and a relentless desire to correctly diagnose and treat his patients.  He trained generations of UTMB students and residents to use scientific methods to diagnose and treat illness, in the context of listening to patients and their families and treating them with utmost respect. A pioneer in pediatric immunology, he served on the expert group that created the first Pediatric Immunology board exam. 

Dr. Goldman’s scientific achievements were numerous. An allergist and immunologist, he developed a novel diagnostic approach, the double-blinded placebo-controlled challenge, that he published in 1963 and is still a gold standard for the diagnosis of food allergy.  He conducted clinical and laboratory investigations of hereditary immunodeficiency disorders to elucidate causes, patterns of inheritance, and treatments.  He is best known for his discoveries, from 1970 onward, of the immune system in human milk, how human milk changes in concert with the infant’s developing immune system, and the health benefits of breast feeding to infants. 

After retirement, Armond Goldman explored his passion for medical history, publishing two books, Louis Pasteur's Library: An Unresolved Mystery (2019) and Prisoners of Time: The Misdiagnosis of FDR's 1921 Illness (2017), and publishing peer-reviewed articles on famous physicians, medical issues, and research trends.  He was also a writer of tales – imaginative stories that were drawn from the unique life he led and that he used to amuse and enlighten his children, grandchildren, and friends.

Armond Goldman was the recipient of many awards, including the UTMB John G. Sinclair Sigma Xi Award for Excellence in Research; Best Doctors in America; Texas Academy of Pediatrics Lifetime Achievement Award; International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation Macy-György award for Research in Human Lactation; UTMB Alumni Society Ashbel Smith Award; and UTMB Living Legends Award. 

Over a lifetime, Armond and his wife Barbara of 64 years shared a passion for classical music and opera, playing violin duets from their first date onward.  He excelled at competitive sports like basketball, tennis, and football. Even in the last years of his life, he still swam regularly. He and Barbara were passionate bird watchers. He enjoyed helping Barbara with her ranching projects, raising Texas Longhorns and peacocks and sowing wildflowers. He and Barbara raised five children, and touched the lives of many friends, patients’ families and colleagues with kindness and empathy. 

Armond Goldman is survived by four children: Lynn (Doug Hayward), David (Nadia Hejazi), Daniel (Frances Liao), and Paul; his daughter-in-law Doria; eight grandchildren: Hannah, Aaron, Ariel, Evir Reilly, Carolyn Hsu, Johnason Hsu, Gibson, and Nicholas; and three great-grandchildren: Liliana, Alexandra, and Benjamin. He survived his wife Barbara, brother Burton, son Robert (Doria Martin), mother Rose (Gottesfeld), and father David. 

Donations to Dr. Goldman’s memory may be made to the UTMB Blocker History of Medicine Collections at the Moody Medical Library or the UTMB Department of Pediatrics. 

A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, May 26, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. at Hebrew Benevolent Cemetery on 43rd Street & Avenue K, Galveston, Texas.

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