David Calvin Reynolds Heisser

David Calvin Reynolds Heisser, 68, died Friday, October 29, 2010. He was a retired librarian and associate professor emeritus at The Citadel. David Heisser was born in Charleston on October 22, 1942, the son of Manning Reynolds Heisser and English Riley Heisser. He was a graduate of Bishop England High School and the College of Charleston's Class of 1964, where he majored in history. He studied French language and history at the University of Aix-Marseille, France, on a Fulbright Scholarship. He earned a master of arts degree and a doctorate in history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow. He also earned a master of science degree in library service at Columbia University in New York City. Dr. Heisser had been a tenured professor of history at Appalachian State University, Boone, N. C., where he taught undergraduate and graduate-level courses in European and world history. He was employed by The New-York Historical Society in New York City, where he conducted research and writing for a reference book in American art history. He was also a visiting lecturer in library science at the Graduate Library School of Simmons College in Boston. He served as a librarian at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, and the University of South Carolina, Salkehatchie Regional Campus where he also taught history before joining the faculty of The Citadel. He served as reference/documents librarian at the Daniel Library, The Citadel, where he retired in 2007. He was the author of scholarly journal articles on the life of Patrick N. Lynch, nineteenth-century Catholic Bishop of Charleston and Commissioner of the Confederate States to the Holy See. He was a co-author of a forthcoming illustrated guide to Irish historical sites in Charleston. He published journal articles in the field of library science. At the time of his death he was writing a book-length biography of Bishop Lynch. Dr. Heisser was a student of the history of governmental symbols and was the author of several works on South Carolina emblems, including histories of the state seal, the seal of the City of Charleston, and the ceremonial mace of the House of Representatives. In addition, he also published scholarly works on the symbols of the Philippines. He was the author of articles in the South Carolina Encyclopedia and several other encyclopedias. He gave lectures on topics in Catholic Church history, librarianship and the study of emblems in Charleston, Columbia, Savannah, New York, New Orleans, Amherst and Boston, Providence, R.I., Nassau, the Bahamas, and Madrid, Spain. For over half a century he collected books, pictures and other materials on the history of governmental symbols and donated his collection to the Library of Brown University, Providence, R. I. David Heisser enjoyed historical research and reading, travel and photography, theatre and classical music concerts. Dr. Heisser was a Roman Catholic and a member of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Parish, where he was active in the Cathedral Men's Club. He was a member of and held various offices in the American Library Association and the South Carolina Library Association. He was a member of the South Carolina Historical Society, South Carolina Historical Association, Charleston Historical Society, American Catholic Historical Association, American Catholic Historical Society, South Carolina Irish Historical Society, Charleston Archives, Libraries and Museums Council (CALM), North American Vexillological Association, Clogher Historical Society (Ireland), Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, and the Schweizerische Heraldische Gesellschaft (Switzerland). He belonged to the Charleston Library Society and Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. He was a member of the Monsignor John L. Manning Division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. While at The Citadel he was given a Krause Foundation Award for Performance Incentive. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society and Delta Phi Alpha National German Honor Society. David Heisser is survived by his loving sister and dearest friend, Diane Heisser Cochran of Charleston, an uncle Willard Wilson Hutson of Charleston, a niece Clare Hutchinson Cochran of Charleston, a nephew Edward Hutchinson Cochran, Jr., and his wife Elizabeth Keesler Cochran of Mount Pleasant, a nephew Michael Manning Cochran and his wife Arlene Keller Cochran of Mount Pleasant, a grandniece Caroline Howerton Cochran and a grandnephew Edward Hutchinson Cochran, III, both of Mount Pleasant, and many dear cousins and friends. Please omit flowers. Memorials may be given to: the Saint Vincent de Paul Society for Aid to the Poor, c/o Cathedral Parish, 120 Broad St., Charleston, SC 29401; Crisis Ministries, 573 Meeting St., Charleston, SC, 29403; Feline Refuge Shelter for Cats, P. O. Box 2042, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465; or to a charity of one's choice.