L.C. "Whitey" Heist, a member of the UConn Board of Trustees since 1994, died January 19. He was 67.

A resident of Old Greenwich, Heist served as president and chief operating officer of Champion International Corp., a manufacturer and marketer of paper, pulp and wood products, and was a leader in the Fairfield County business community.

"It is difficult to convey the magnitude of Whitey Heist's contribution to the University, both prior to and during his service on the board," says President Philip E. Austin. "Whitey took the lead in the University's Downstate Initiative that led to the development of the Stamford campus. Were it not for Whitey Heist's perseverance, political skill and vision, it is possible that campus would never have been built."

Last summer, the University named a park opposite the new Stamford campus in Heist's honor.

Roger A. Gelfenbien, chair of the Board of Trustees, says "Whitey was a wonderful man, very devoted to his family and the University. He was someone I could always count on. He asked insightful questions, and once he understood what we were trying to do, he was 100 percent committed to making it happen."

Heist earned a bachelor's degree in economics at Yale, and a master's degree at the Yale Forestry School. He was a director of The Ryland Group and The Lyman Farm Inc., and was a director of the Forest Industries Council on Taxation. He was past chair of the National Council of the Paper Industry on Air and Steam Improvement. He also was director of the American Forestry Association and served as a director and vice president of the National Forest Products Association.

Heist served as chair of the board of directors of the Stamford Hospital Foundation, the Stamford Hospital Health Corporation, and was a founding director of "Drugs Don't Work!" the governor's partnership to prevent substance abuse in the workplace.

A memorial service was held January 23 at First Presbyterian Church in Stamford. Donations may be made to Stamford Health Foundation.

Sherry Fisher