(1921-2010)
American
Born: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Horace “Hank” Mann (December 12, 1921- November 18, 2010)
SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Hank Mann was an early advocate for children with developmental disabilities. Through his efforts, the undergraduate and graduate exceptional education programs at Buffalo State College grew to rank among the largest and most influential in the United States. He was an extraordinary patron of the college as well.
In 2001, he donated $1 million to fund scholarships, speakers and faculty work in special education. A year later, he made another $1 million gift, and he followed those up with similar donations in 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. Nearly four years after his passing in 2010, college officials learned that he left behind another sizeable donation amounting to more than $2 million. All totaled, Mann gave in excess of $7 million to Buffalo State, easily making him the largest donor in the college’s history.
A college graduate, Kevin Eichner (class of 1992) won the sculpture competition to create a memorial sculpture to honor Dr. Mann. The abstract metal tree-like sculpture is located in a small garden in the Horace Mann Quad (formerly Rockwell Quad), on the east side of the Savage Building. It is dedicated to the beloved educator who passed away in 2010 after teaching at Buffalo State for more than 40 years.
“Dr. Mann symbolized what is best about Buffalo State. He had an insatiable desire for knowledge and emphasized teaching to the whole person and giving back to the community. He loved all children and recognized the intrinsic value of society’s exceptional ones,” President Kate Conway-Turner said at the dedication. “I feel honored to hold a ceremony recognizing his gifts to the field of exceptional education and to the college.” She explained, “Hank Mann gave of himself in innumerable ways for four decades, inspiring many students to carve out impressive careers in exceptional education. He also gave generously to Buffalo State with donations through the years that exceeded that of any other individual.”
In total, Hank Mann gave more than $7 million to the college for scholarships, to establish the Horace Mann Endowed Chair and to help grow the exceptional education program. He also established the Hank Mann Award that recognizes the campus’s physical plant workers with citation awards and monetary gifts. Through his estate, the Buffalo State College Foundation, Inc. acquired two watercolors by former Buffalo State colleague Robert Squeri, one watercolor by Robert N. Blair, and three Glidden ceramic works, two designed by Fong Chow.