It is with great sadness that the Department of French and Italian announces the passing of Professor Emeritus of Italian Albert Mancini on August 7. Born on September 15, 1929, in Trenton, NJ, and raised partly in Italy, Albert Nicholas Mancini earned a Doctorate in Modern Letters (cum laude) at the Universities of Padua and Naples; he later received a PhD in Romance Literatures from the University of California-Berkeley. He taught at UC-Berkeley (1957 1961) and Princeton University (1962-1964). He spent most of his career at The Ohio State University where he served as director of the Italian Program from 1965 to 2001. He held many appointments as Visiting Professor or Scholar at the Italian School of Middlebury College, the NEH Institute on Humanism in Florence (1994), the Centro Internazionale di studi italiani of the University of Genoa, and numerous universities in North America and in Italy.

A consummate teacher, Albert Mancini approached his students and colleagues — whether first-year students or seasoned scholars — with respect, sensitivity, care, and a good dose of realism. A demanding teacher with a keen literary acumen, his critique always came from his desire to improve the scholarly potential of both his students and colleagues. 

Given the length and ubiquity of his service to Italian Studies, Albert’s presence will surely be missed by many in the profession. His value and service to the Department of French and Italian at The Ohio State University in particular–to its faculty, instructors, and students–was immeasurable.

He is survived by his wife, Susan, and their children, Nicholas and Mara Bell, and five granddaughters.