Memories of Dr. Elson Floyd are pouring in from across the country, just days after the Washington State University president died. On campus, WSU students in Pullman and Spokane took Monday afternoon to honor him with moments of silence and memorials.
Floyd was traveling the state as WSU president only days before he announced he would take a medical leave. That was early June, and he shared optimism about recovering from colon cancer. Floyd died at age 59 Saturday.
WSU Spokane Chancellor Lisa Brown worked with Floyd for years: when they both worked at Eastern Washington University, when Brown was a state senator, and recently working together on medical school plans for WSU.
Brown: “He led WSU to its highest enrollment, its highest levels of research funding. Was not afraid to take on difficult decisions during the downturn in higher ed funding.”
Floyd was known to speak often about providing access to college for people who normally could not afford it, stemming in part from his own family history.
Memorials about Floyd have come from lawmakers statewide, at Saturday’s Seattle Mariners game, and more. His wife will hold an open house at their Pullman home Tuesday night, and his funeral service will happen in North Carolina this weekend. WSU will announce plans for a memorial at a later date.
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