William (Bill) A. Heintz was born May 31, 1924, in Chicago, IL, the son of Peter F. and Lucille (Russell) Heintz. He graduated from Carleton College, interrupting his education to serve as an interpreter in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He went on to receive his law degree from Northwestern University.

After working for McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. and traveling internationally for the Richard D. Irwin Publishing Co., Bill resided in New Hampton, IA. There he served as Chickasaw County Attorney. He was later employed by the Department of Labor until his retirement. Heintz died July 24, 1997.

Heintz received several honors during his lifetime. He was invited to join the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity in 1948 and admitted to the Iowa bar in 1951. Luther College awarded him, along with his mother Lu Heintz, the Pioneer Memorial Award in 1996. This award recognizes individuals whose vision has moved them to provide for Luther's long-range needs through planned gifts. The William A. Heintz Scholarship at Luther College was established on March 28, 1996.

Heintz was an enthusiastic supporter of Luther College and regularly attended cultural events on campus. Upon his death, his extensive collections representing his many interests were bequeathed to Luther College. Numerous objects were accessioned into the five College collections (Fine Arts, Ethnographic/Archeological, Natural History, Archives and Geology). The Fine Arts Collection in particular benefited from his generosity with the acquisition of 64 art works including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and fiber art. His meticulous documentation of these works greatly assisted in cataloging and providing context for them. Over 600 books, records, and CD's were added to the Luther College Library from his estate. These works form a virtual collection which can be searched with the keywords "Heintz Collection" in WorldCat Discovery, the online catalog.

Ref: William A. Heintz Personal Papers, Luther College Archives, RG 15.