CougCenter - WSU president Elson Floyd loses battle with cancerWhy Washington State? Well that's a stupid question.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47853/fave.png2015-11-27T06:08:00-08:00http://www.cougcenter.com/rss/stream/85831082015-11-27T06:08:00-08:002015-11-27T06:08:00-08:00Do it for EFlo
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<p>Don't win this game for any of the alums, fans, or anyone else. Win it for him. </p> <p>Three simple letters have adorned the back of Washington State's helmets this year: ESF. No matter the jersey combos, no matter the stadium, no matter the game, those letters have been on the back of every helmet a WSU student-athlete wears onto the football field. The man represented by those three simple letters has been on the back of every player's mind for 11 games now. Throughout the year, every athletic team has carried that simple reminder of him. Somewhere on their uniform, a memory through his initials of what he meant to this institution and the people who love it and him.</p>
<p>Who he was, hell, who he is, embodied everything Washington State University is and can be: tenacious, vibrant, strong willed, steadfast, determined, caring, loving, friendly ... a Coug.</p>
<p>Our family lost an incredible educator, person, and friend this summer. He didn't know a ton about sports. But he knew how important <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0MJw-b_VMw" style="background-color: #ffffff;">this game is to us.</a> He knew what it meant when Washington State wins the Apple Cup.</p>
<p>So, when the players run out of the tunnel at Husky Stadium tomorrow, I don't want them to win that game for alums, fans, or anyone else.</p>
<p>I want them to win it for President Dr. Elson S. Floyd. For EFlo.</p>
<p>Do it for him because of what <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2015/11/22/9779016/jeremiah-allison-senior-night-carmento-floyd">he meant to one of your teammates.</a> Do it for him because he kept his arms open to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/wsu-bucks-trend-loads-up-on-freshmen/">educating young adults in this state</a> when your opponent's institution refused. Do it because he cared so deeply for each and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/wsu-proposal-would-tie-tuition-increases-to-cost-of-living/">every one of your classmates.</a> Do it for him because, as he was quite literally dying, he wanted to ensure Washington State University ended a century-old monopoly <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/21/8818897/wsu-medical-school-elson-floyd/in/8583108">on medical schools in this state.</a> Do it for him because he loved this school more than anyone could have ever possibly expected him to. Do it because everyone, EVERYONE, got a handshake and congratulations when they graduated.</p>
<p>You've already propelled yourselves higher than just about anyone expected you to this year, gentlemen. You've been resilient in the face of adversity. You've been determined against opponents who seemed to have you outmanned and overmatched. You've won when people told you it would be impossible. You've gotten to the edge of the precipice. Now it's time to fly.</p>
<p>One more time. With feeling. For him. Go Cougs.</p>
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<p>Photo: Washington State University</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/11/26/9803846/do-it-for-efloMichael Preston2015-08-27T16:37:14-07:002015-08-27T16:37:14-07:00Thousands celebrate the life of Dr. Elson Floyd
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<figcaption>Gov. Jay Inslee eulogizes the late Dr. Elson Floyd. | <a href='https://www.facebook.com/WSUPullman/photos_stream''>Robert Hubner, WSU Photo Services</a></figcaption>
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<p>Yesterday's celebration of life gave members of the WSU community an opportunity to say goodbye to the President.</p> <p>The students and staff of WSU were <a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/aug/27/a-presidents-passion-honored/?print-friendly">given their opportunity</a> to remember and celebrate the life of Elson Floyd on Aug. 26. The memorial was held in Beasley Coliseum, and was attended by leaders from across the state.</p>
<p>Governor Jay Inslee eulogized the President who passed of colon cancer June 20. Floyd was the 10th president in the university's history and took over the job May 21, 2007.</p>
<p>"Isn't it amazing what one Cougar gift has done for the whole state of Washington?" <a target="_blank" href="http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/2015/08/26/elson-floyd-washington-state-university-memorial/32448877/">Inslee said at the memorial</a>. "I've known some leaders in my time and I know if they have a Mount Rushmore of college presidents he's going to be on it, for sure."</p>
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<iframe frameborder="0" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yPun2KAeSNE"></iframe> <em>Video shown during the service</em>
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<p>Floyd's impact on WSU can't be understated, and it seems like everyone has a story to tell about him. Today, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/sportslink/2015/aug/27/wsu-says-farewell-elson-floyd/">Vince Grippi told us</a> about how even though initially he wasn't impressed with the President, that opinion changed quickly.</p>
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<p>"I covered a regents meeting he ran concerning the Martin Stadium remodel. I was the only reporter in a conference room with about half the WSU regents - the rest were connected by phone - and watched as he steered the discussion, and decision, the way he wanted it to go. I've covered a lot of similar meetings over the years - heck, I participated in some as well - and I never saw anyone more in control. Subtly if he could, not-so-subtly if that was called for. In the end, the remodel was approved. Martin Stadium has never looked the same. And never will. Now that Elson Floyd is gone, we can say a similar thing about Washington State University. It will never be the same."</p>
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<p>One thing always comes up in the tales of Floyd's prowess, he left the university better than when he started. Perhaps his most important contribution will be securing the medical school for WSU. A school that will bear his name.</p>
<p>"For years to come, when we see doctors improving the health of our communities, we'll be seeing his legacy," <a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/aug/27/a-presidents-passion-honored/?print-friendly">U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers said</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to that tribute, all WSU team's will honor Floyd with uniform patches and stickers this year. His impact stretched to all nooks and crannies of the WSU community, and the loss of his presence will continued to be felt.</p>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Cougar student-athletes will honor Elson S. Floyd on their uniforms this season. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IHeartEFlo?src=hash">#IHeartEFlo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GoCougs?src=hash">#GoCougs</a> <a href="http://t.co/r5pYJUkqLF">pic.twitter.com/r5pYJUkqLF</a></p>
— WSU Cougars (@WSUCougars) <a href="https://twitter.com/WSUCougars/status/636635019188940800">August 26, 2015</a>
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<p>If you missed the memorial and still want to watch it, <a target="_blank" href="https://wsu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d9d16b26-cae7-449d-b99c-2e9beb50ba20">you can here</a>. Additionally, the Spokesman-Review has a small <a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/picture-stories/elson-floyds-memorial/">photo gallery</a>.</p>
<p>Floyd was 59 years old and was survived by his wife, son, daughter and three granddaughters.</p>
<p>"I can't even begin to say how difficult this time has been for our family. It's taken our breath away, and it's changed our lives," <a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/aug/27/a-presidents-passion-honored/?print-friendly">Carmento Floyd said</a>. "But the one thing that has been constant, through this whole ordeal, has been your love and support."</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/8/27/9217473/elson-floyd-president-memorial-wsu-washington-stateChet Broberg2015-08-26T12:46:57-07:002015-08-26T12:46:57-07:00Elson Floyd celebration of life info
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<p>Join Washington State University community in remembering one of the best college presidents this campus has ever seen.</p> <p>Dr. Elson S. Floyd's celebration of life ceremony will take place today at 3:00 p.m. inside of Beasley Coliseum. All members of the public are invited and encouraged to attend, and for those who can't, the event will be live streamed.</p>
<p>The doors open at 2:00 and seating is unassigned. The live stream can be found <a href="https://wsu.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=d9d16b26-cae7-449d-b99c-2e9beb50ba20" target="_blank">here</a>. (EDIT: That link also will stream a replay of the event for you.)</p>
<p>It's been two months since one of the darkest days in WSU history, the passing of President Floyd on Jun. 20 after a battle with colon cancer. Just 15 days earlier, Floyd announced he was taking a medical leave of absence to treat his illness. When we woke up the morning of Jun. 20 and found out that Floyd has passed, it had felt like a personal friend had died because, well, that's exactly who Elson Floyd was.</p>
<p>As a current student, walking from class to class feels different without Floyd somewhere nearby. He genuinely cared about his students and their education, taking time to talk to student when he made an appearance on the Glenn-Terrell Mall or inside the CUB. During his tenure, he took an <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/wsu-president-asks-for-100k-pay-cut/" target="_blank">$100,000 pay cut</a>, increased enrollment by 17 percent, and worked day and night during his illness to secure approval for a Washington State medical school to be built in Spokane.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/8/26/9211691/elson-floyd-celebration-of-life-live-streamAaron Polevoi2015-07-18T09:35:31-07:002015-07-18T09:35:31-07:00Floyd told of med school naming plan before death
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<p>WSU also announces details for a celebration of life in August.</p> <p>As Dr. Elson S. Floyd's passing appeared imminent behind the scenes, WSU leadership apparently had the same thought as all of us: A couple of weeks before he died of cancer, <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jul/16/wsu-moves-forward-on-medical-school-named-in/" target="_blank">the WSU president was told</a> the new medical school would be named for him.</p>
<p>Interim president Daniel Bernardo told the Spokesman-Review that Floyd "felt really good about that," adding, "this was his crown jewel."</p>
<p>Often times, posthumous gestures become de facto honors for the family left behind; it's really, really cool that it's not simply limited to that in this case.</p>
<p>Bernardo also said what we all knew had to be the case: "What he did while he was fighting that disease, mere mortals can't do."</p>
<p>Additionally, the school has announced the details of Floyd's celebration of life at WSU, which will be held at 3 p.m. on August 26 at Beasley Coliseum, after students return to campus. <a href="http://from.wsu.edu/president/2015/floyd-memorial/149903-browser.html" target="_blank">You can RSVP for the event</a> if you plan on attending, helping to give the school a chance to plan for numbers.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/7/18/8998165/elson-floyd-told-of-medical-school-naming-plan-before-deathJeff Nusser2015-06-26T20:56:03-07:002015-06-26T20:56:03-07:00Senate passes amendment to name medical school after Elson Floyd<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2015/jun/26/senate-passes-elson-floyd-med-school-bill/">Senate passes amendment to name medical school after Elson&nbsp;Floyd</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>The state Senate unanimously voted to name the yet-to-be opened medical school after Dr. Floyd. It would officially be named the "Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine". The House still needs to pass the amendment to the med school bill and with the end of the session coming up, it'll be a close call. The governor would also have to sign off which I'm sure Mr. Inslee would do quickly.</p></p></div>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/26/8855771/senate-passes-amendment-to-name-medical-school-after-elson-floydMichael Preston2015-06-24T18:41:19-07:002015-06-24T18:41:19-07:00President Floyd led through campus one final time<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Wt1CL8DPWRM" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
<div class="source source-img"><p><p>E-Flo was driven through the WSU campus for the last time this morning. He was then flown to North Carolina where his family will host a private funeral this weekend.</p></p></div>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/24/8842717/president-floyd-led-through-campus-one-final-timeMichael Preston2015-06-23T12:42:32-07:002015-06-23T12:42:32-07:00Elson Floyd changed the culture at WSU
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<p>Dr. Floyd accomplished many amazing things in Pullman, but his lasting legacy started with handshakes and hellos.</p> <p>The fact that everyone here has been sharing their thoughts about Elson Floyd, both publicly and privately, tells you something. It's pretty remarkable to see the outpouring of emotion following the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/20/8818481/wsu-president-elson-floyd-cancer/in/8583108">news of Floyd's death</a>, and the affirmation of how much people truly liked him came with it. It's rare to see and tells you just how special he was to those who knew him.</p>
<p>While <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/21/8818897/wsu-medical-school-elson-floyd/in/8583108">the medical school was Dr. Floyd's greatest accomplishment</a>, and something he pushed so incredibly hard for while fighting for his life, it won't be the only legacy he leaves behind. Despite how grand of an achievement the medical school is, Dr. Floyd did something much more abstract but also meaningful in his time at Washington State. He didn't just save money, balance budgets and squeeze out raises for employees, all of which were important procedural pieces of his administration.</p>
<p>Instead, the legacy Dr. Floyd leaves behind at Washington State is the culture he instilled at the university.</p>
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<p>When Dr. Floyd was hired to lead Washington State University, I assumed it'd be a five year and out job. He would come in as a mercenary, clean up after the previous administration, and go on his way to bigger and better things. It was immediately apparent that Dr. Floyd was a star, and it felt like he would set the school up in a great spot and move along to the next project.</p>
<p>I was way off. Dr. Floyd committed to more than five years, putting permanent roots down in Pullman. He never did anything halfway, and it became apparent that he had fallen in love with the Washington State community, just as all of us did. He quickly became One Of Us, and stayed that way.</p>
<p>Dr. Floyd quickly set about changing the perception of the office of the president -- and, for those that remember, this perception wasn't good among students and alumni alike -- one handshake, one hug, one "how are you?" at a time. From the moment he took office, Dr. Floyd put himself out as the public face of Washington State University. He did it in Pullman, in Olympia, in Seattle, at conferences across the country, and … well, in the student section at basketball games.</p>
<p>All of this was important. To secure donations, lobby the legislature, and keep the students happy, Dr. Floyd knew he had to connect with everyone that has a hand in making Washington State such an amazing place. He started his job by listening, learning, and then putting things into practice, starting with immersing himself in the traditions of WSU.</p>
<p>Washington State wouldn't be what it is today without Dr. Floyd's leadership and the outreach he did from the moment he took over as president. The school diversified its enrollment to more accurately reflect the demographics of the state under his watchful eye. He didn't try to fix the budget during the recession by leaning heavily into out-of-state students and the high tuition rates that come along with it, either. Washington State is, first and foremost, a school for Washington residents.</p>
<p>Everything Dr. Floyd accomplished was done with an eye toward the long-term, and the overall goal of making Washington State University the very best institution it could be -- both now and in the future.</p>
<p><span>★★★</span></p>
<p>I don't even remember exactly when I met Dr. Floyd, but I do remember the jokes about our last name that started right away. Not just the first time I met him, either: It was a running thing that spanned my time in Pullman. The ability to put names to faces and remember the smallest details about people is something that's been mentioned in just about every story about Dr. Floyd, and for good reason. It made anyone that met him feel connected to him. He cared about you. Yes, <i>you</i>.</p>
<p>As Michael mentioned, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/20/8818889/what-dr-elson-s-floyd-means-to-washington-state-university">Dr. Floyd was <i>your</i> friend</a>. He was my friend, and the news of his death was a punch in the gut. I spent quite a bit of time engaged with Dr. Floyd while I was in school, both in a cooperative role and an adversarial role at times. Yet in the latter, there was never any contention, and nobody walked away angry at the other side. He had an amazing ability to lobby for his viewpoint while also listening, taking feedback and adjusting. He did all this while making you feel at ease.</p>
<p>We all lost a friend on Saturday, and it still hurts. But despite losing an absolute titan of a leader and an incredible visionary, the legacy Dr. Floyd left behind at Washington State will live on. It'll live on in the medical school that should bear his name. It'll live on in the world class research institution WSU has become.</p>
<p>Most of all, the legacy of Dr. Elson Floyd will live on in the culture he created and the bonds he formed with so many during his time as the leader of our fine school.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/23/8826735/elson-floyd-legacy-wsu-presidentBrian Floyd2015-06-21T12:00:03-07:002015-06-21T12:00:03-07:00Elson Floyd's greatest gift: WSU's medical school
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<p>And now, there's really only one choice for the name.</p> <p>In 2024, the first graduates of the as-yet-to-be-named Washington State University medical school will complete their residencies and begin practicing medicine as full-fledged MDs.</p>
<p>And they'll have Elson S. Floyd to thank for it.</p>
<p>Floyd regularly sought out ways to advance the profile of WSU during his eight-year tenure as president -- <a target="_blank" href="http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jun/20/wsu-president-elson-floyd-loses-cancer-battle/">the Spokesman-Review lists</a> a $1 billion capital campaign, soaring student enrollment and the establishment of the Paul G. Allen Center of Global Animal Health as major accomplishments -- but no move was as bold as challenging the University of Washington's stranglehold on medicine education in the Northwest by announcing WSU's intentions to pursue establishing its own medical school.</p>
<p>It was portrayed as a long shot. Those people clearly did not know Elson S. Floyd very well.</p>
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<p>Floyd's brainchild came to fruition in March when state lawmakers repealed a nearly 100-year-old statute that prohibited anyone but UW from teaching medicine in the state. He deftly maneuvered through a landscape in Olympia that tends to favor western Washington interests, calling on the political capital built up as the longest-tenured university president in the state.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/education/how-wsu-beat-odds-in-fight-to-create-med-school/">In an April story in the Seattle Times</a>, Gene Sharrat, executive director of the Washington Student Achievement Council, said "he is the most recognizable higher-education president in Olympia today."</p>
<p>Added State Rep. Drew Hansen, D-Bainbridge Island, who heads the House's higher-education committee: "He has played enough different roles in higher ed in Washington state that he tends to know who to talk to."</p>
<p>Floyd used those skills to change a lot of minds.</p>
<p>"I came to believe, with the size of our state — and we're a growing state — there is ample opportunity to expand our medical-school offerings," Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, D-Seattle, said in that story in the Times.</p>
<p>He worked tirelessly on behalf of the university to see the measure through, testifying for hours in front of committees and holding countless one-on-one meetings with lawmakers.</p>
<p>And we now know that he did it all while battling terminal cancer. The precipitous weight loss was obvious to anyone who saw him in person or in pictures; the suits were too big, the cheeks had sunk in. But that disarming smile remained, even as there must have come a point during the legislative process when he suspected the end might not be far off.</p>
<p>That a man pushing for the establishment of a medical school would die of cancer shortly after winning the initial battle is ironic in the sense that not even modern medicine could save him.</p>
<p>But looked at another way, it simply underscores why this medical school was worth fighting for in the first place. We have made tremendous strides in treating insidious diseases such as cancer; my son, who is nearing the end of treatment for leukemia, is a testament to that, and most of us know someone -- likely multiple someones -- who have survived cancer.</p>
<p>As long as we're still losing people like Elson Floyd, though, we still have a long way to go to get where we want to be. The establishment of a medical school at a world-class institution such as WSU might not cure cancer (at least, not at first), but it's another great step toward ensuring that everyone in this country can have the finest health care the United States can provide.</p>
<p>And it will pay dividends for WSU, too. There's a special profile for universities that house medical schools, which in turn attracts a higher caliber of student to the general student population; also, since every graduate is a potential future donor, it never hurts to generate alumni who will generally enjoy a financially rewarding profession.</p>
<p>This -- along with bringing back a family-like atmosphere befitting Pullman to his administration -- is Floyd's legacy at our school.</p>
<p>Which is exactly why, in the fall of 2017, there's only one choice for the name of the school that WSU's first class of 40 medical doctorate candidates will be attending.</p>
<p>The Elson S. Floyd School of Medicine at Washington State University.</p>
https://www.cougcenter.com/2015/6/21/8818897/wsu-medical-school-elson-floydJeff Nusser