Spokane Mayor David Condon issued the following statement today on the passing of Washington State University President Dr. Elson Floyd:
“Spokane and the Inland Northwest have lost a great leader and advocate for students and learning. For nearly a decade, Dr. Elson Floyd advocated for greater access to higher educational opportunities in Spokane and was a significant part of the advancement of medical education in our University District.
Dr. Floyd went about his work with integrity and a smile that made him a major influence in making the partnership of higher education among our region’s great institutions a centerpiece of the east end of downtown Spokane. He led the designation of Spokane as a healthcare campus that created new opportunities for students interested in pharmacy, nursing and medical education.
I like so many others who had the great pleasure of getting to know him are far better for that chance.
Cancer took Dr. Floyd far too soon, but it did not beat him. His legacy lives on in the future medical professionals, engineers, business leaders, scientists and so many other graduates who walk out of Washington State University with the world ahead of them. Our hearts go out to Dr. Floyd’s family, Cougar Nation and all those he so profoundly influenced.”
