Leo Drey
Encyclopedia
Leo A. Drey is a Missouri
timber
magnate, conservationist
, and philanthropist
.
Born January 19, 1917, in St. Louis, Missouri
, to a wealthy manufacturer of glassware
, Drey began acquiring timberland in the Missouri Ozarks for reforestation and conservation in 1950. His holdings, much acquired for the price of back taxes, eventually grew to nearly 160000 acres (647.5 km²), the largest private landholding in the state and larger than Missouri's entire state park system. The project, known as Pioneer Forest, is a commercial forest managed in the public interest, with single tree selection harvesting techniques.
Drey founded the L-A-D Foundation, which acquires and protects other natural areas in the state, leasing many of them to the state park system at $1 per year.
In 2005, Drey was placed at No. 6 on Slate magazine's annual list of the top 60 U.S. philanthropists, thanks to his gift of 146000 acres (590.8 km²) of Ozark land, valued at $180 million, to the L-A-D Foundation.
Other Drey beneficiaries have included his alma mater Antioch College
; John Burroughs School
, which uses Drey land for biology and outdoor education courses; the Government Accountability Project; and Coalition for the Environment, Missouri's first independent citizens' group to address a broad range of environmental issues.
Drey is a 1935 graduate of John Burroughs School and a 1939 graduate of Antioch College. In 1991, he donated his papers to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri–St. Louis
.
According to press reports, his answering machine message says, "I’m out planting a forest. Please leave your name and number and I’ll try to get back to you before it matures."
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
magnate, conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
Born January 19, 1917, in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, to a wealthy manufacturer of glassware
Glassware
This list of glassware includes drinking vessels , tableware, such as dishes, and flatware used to set a table for eating a meal, general glass items such as vases, and glasses used in the catering industry whether made of glass or plastics such as polystyrene and...
, Drey began acquiring timberland in the Missouri Ozarks for reforestation and conservation in 1950. His holdings, much acquired for the price of back taxes, eventually grew to nearly 160000 acres (647.5 km²), the largest private landholding in the state and larger than Missouri's entire state park system. The project, known as Pioneer Forest, is a commercial forest managed in the public interest, with single tree selection harvesting techniques.
Drey founded the L-A-D Foundation, which acquires and protects other natural areas in the state, leasing many of them to the state park system at $1 per year.
In 2005, Drey was placed at No. 6 on Slate magazine's annual list of the top 60 U.S. philanthropists, thanks to his gift of 146000 acres (590.8 km²) of Ozark land, valued at $180 million, to the L-A-D Foundation.
Other Drey beneficiaries have included his alma mater Antioch College
Antioch College
Antioch College is a private, independent liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, United States. It was the founder and the flagship institution of the six-campus Antioch University system. Founded in 1852 by the Christian Connection, the college began operating in 1853 with politician and...
; John Burroughs School
John Burroughs School
Founded in 1923, John Burroughs School is a private, non-sectarian preparatory school with nearly 600 students in grades 7-12. Its 47.5 acre campus is located in Ladue, Missouri , an affluent suburb of Saint Louis. It is named for U.S...
, which uses Drey land for biology and outdoor education courses; the Government Accountability Project; and Coalition for the Environment, Missouri's first independent citizens' group to address a broad range of environmental issues.
Drey is a 1935 graduate of John Burroughs School and a 1939 graduate of Antioch College. In 1991, he donated his papers to the Western Historical Manuscript Collection at the University of Missouri–St. Louis
University of Missouri–St. Louis
The University of Missouri–St. Louis is one of four universities in the University of Missouri System. Established in 1963, it is the newest university in the UM System. , it is the largest university by enrollment in the St. Louis area with 16,548 students...
.
According to press reports, his answering machine message says, "I’m out planting a forest. Please leave your name and number and I’ll try to get back to you before it matures."
External links
- "Building Natural Wealth" in the Missouri Conservationist
- The L-A-D Foundation