From the October 2008 issue of UConn e-Momentum
Since graduating from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources with a bachelor’s degree in forestry in 1949, George Cloutier maintained close ties to the college. With his recent gift, Cloutier’s legacy will carry on through a new scholarship.
The George F. Cloutier Scholarship Award will be given to meritorious undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and want to focus in forest resources.
Cloutier wanted to give back to UConn for the education he received and help support the future of the institution.
“I believe in UConn,” says Cloutier. “I want UConn to be the best in the world.”
Cloutier decided to endow the scholarship because he wanted to help students achieve their goals while calling attention to the critical need for highly trained forestry graduates.
“I want to help students who are smart and honest to get an education,” he explains. “This is important. We have to do something to protect our natural resources, or we’re all going to be in trouble.”
“This scholarship will help keep forestry education and the forestry profession alive and well in Connecticut,” adds Steve Broderick, a senior extension educator in UConn’s Connecticut Cooperative Extension System for 30 years until his retirement in October 2008.
Cloutier dedicated his career to forestry, working at the state Department of Environmental Protection. Always supportive of UConn, when an expert forester and educator was needed to fill in following the death of a faculty member, Cloutier stepped in to teach dendrology—the study of trees—for several semesters.
“George was an outstanding field forester with a detailed, intimate knowledge of local forest ecology, forest products marketing and silviculture. A lifetime of working and recreating in the woods created a great depth and breadth of experience and knowledge,” says Broderick.
Broderick notes that Cloutier was influential in the lives and careers of many UConn faculty and staff members as well as others in the field.
“George has always been delighted to share his great knowledge of forest management. There are many foresters practicing in Connecticut today for whom George was a mentor,” says Broderick. “He taught me a great deal early in my career, and assisted me on many occasions in teaching extension education programs.”
For more information about supporting the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, please contact the UConn Foundation's development department.
