Elson Floyd: A personal legacy

The WSU community was shocked Saturday as news spread of President Elson S. Floyd's death. Though I did not have many interactions with the man deemed a legacy in the past weeks, the times I did have had profound influence and have brought me to where I am today.

As a senior deciding where to attend college, I received an invitation from Floyd to attend a Future Cougar's Day in Seattle. I remember clearly as Floyd entered the stands at Safeco Field where the small audience was and personally shook everyone's hand, taking the time to speak with each person. As the event began, he spoke about why each of us had been invited: "You are the elite, and we want the elite at WSU."

Following Floyd's speech and my interaction with him, I declared to my parents "I am now a Cougar. I want to go to his school!"

I had many opportunities to hear him speak as a student. Each time, the love he had for WSU and the students was evident, as was his passion for his work.

Last spring as Floyd began initiatives to establish a medical school at WSU, I interviewed him about it for a class. Welcoming the appointment warmly, he made the environment comfortable and personable, even interviewing me, asking me about my time at WSU, what it had meant to me and my future plans.

Though he is gone, his influence and legacy will no doubt continue. As WSU Board of Regents Chair Ryan Durkan put it in an email to students, staff and alumni Saturday, "His legacy will serve the people of Washington, the nation and the world for generations to come."

Kara McMurray

Gazette Reporter