Dan Wagner earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Brown University in 1951. His dissertation, "On Free Products of Groups" was published in the Transactions of the American Mathematical Society in 1957. Dr. Wagner joined the Navy's Operations Evaluation Group (OEG) at the Pentagon, working on operations research for naval warfare. He worked there until 1956, with a one-year leave of absence for postdoctoral research on free algebras at MIT. Dr. Wagner then joined Burroughs Research Center, where he directed a group of mathematicians performing analysis for the development of digital computers.
In 1957, Dr. Wagner and Mr. John D. Kettelle formed the partnership of Kettelle and Wagner, which dissolved in 1963. In 1963 he formed a new company, Daniel H. Wagner, Associates, Inc. This company applied itself to leading edge work in the mathematics of naval tactics, especially anti-submarine warfare, detection theory and search planning.
During his years as President and principal owner of Daniel H. Wagner Associates, Dr. Wagner brought many high-quality mathematicians into the operations research community. This led to significant advances in the firm's fields of endeavor and delivery of significant applications to Navy, Coast Guard and other clients. Many of the applications are still in service today.
After retirement from the firm he founded, Dr. Wagner held various teaching and research positions with U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Dr. Wagner was a member of INFORMS/ORSA for more than 40 years. Dan passed away in March, 1997.