A producer and director who was known as the longtime producer of the Academy Awards and served two terms as president of the Directors Guild of America has died, TheWrap.com reports. Gilbert Cates was 77.

Cates, who recently underwent heart surgery, was found Monday evening after collapsing in the parking lot on the campus of UCLA, the story reports.

UCLA issued a statement saying: "Emergency medical personnel responded to a call on campus at about 5:50 p.m. Monday but were unable to revive Cates. The Los Angeles County coroner is investigating the cause of death."

Cates was the dean of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television from 1990-1998, and was producing director at the Geffen Playhouse, the story notes.

He produced 14 Academy Awards telecasts in a span of 18 years, winning an Emmy in 1991 for the 63rd annual awards, according to the report.

The story adds: “Cates loved the awards, and was quoted in 2006 as saying, ‘If you want a sense of what America is like, you’ll watch the Oscars.’"

Cates also directed a number of feature films, including “I Never Sang for My Father” (1970) and “Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams” (1973), both of which received Oscar nominations.

Gilbert Cates