Chuck Mancuso is one of the most well-beloved professors in Buffalo State College's history as well as a pioneering historian of American popular music. Over the course of his career, he made an indelible impression on his students and beyond. By mixing a lifetime of research and scholarship with his groundbreaking multimedia approach to teaching, Professor Mancuso defined how American popular music, film, and culture are taught not just in the SUNY system, but across the country.

We hope you'll join us in continuing Chuck's inspirational impact at Buffalo State by making a gift to the Chuck Mancuso and Mary Mancuso Award. This award recognizes a Buffalo State student who demonstrates excellence in American popular music's historic forms (country, folk, jazz, blues, cabaret, show music).

Click here to see photos from a recent ceremony honoring Chuck's impact on Buffalo State!

About Chuck Mancuso:

An alumnus of Buffalo State himself, Chuck graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts in 1966. His many talents were already apparent as an undergraduate: he received the President's Award for Research, wrote a weekly column for the Buffalo State College Record entitled "Chas with Jazz," and was on the basketball and cross-country teams. (And thanks to his efforts on the basketball court, Chuck was inducted into the Buffalo State College Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988!) He went on to earn a master's degree in special education at Buffalo State and two other master's degrees in media studies from the University at Buffalo.

After graduating from Buffalo State, Chuck served as a special education teacher at Baker Hall. He joined the Buffalo State faculty in 1976 as an instructor of Performing Arts and subsequently became an associate professor of Music. Up until his retirement in 2020, Professor Mancuso taught courses on the elements of American popular music, modern jazz, urban blues, rock 'n' roll, American folk music, country music, Hollywood musicals, and film noir. His diverse and extensive knowledge, coupled with an intuitive ability to reach and inspire students, made his courses extremely popular.

In 1996 Chuck published the landmark book, Popular Music and the Underground: Foundations of Jazz, Blues, Country and Rock (Kendall-Hunt, 1996). When it comes to publications that cover American music with both depth, breadth, and a voice that is equal parts historian and unabashed fan, there is simply no equal. In 1997, he was awarded the Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creativity.

He retired from the Music Department on September 1, 2020.