2020 Gumbo Final - Book - Page 76
The President
Says Good-bye
I
LSU President F. King Alexander
leaves to become president of
Oregon State University
n a live-streamed press conference Friday
afternoon, the Oregon State University Board
of Trustees announced its new president,
F. King Alexander. Current Oregon State
President Ed Ray intends to step down in
June 2020, after 17 years in the position. The
six-month selection process interviewed 68
candidates, culminating in four finalists.
“This was a very difficult decision for me given
my fondness for LSU and the tremendous
progress we’re making here,” Alexander said
in a press release. “It’s been a privilege to be
part of such an important and iconic university
system. I’m proud of what we’ve collectively
accomplished.”
Story: Reveille Writer
Photo: Reveille Photographer
Design: Mariah Graham
Alexander will formally begin as Oregon
State’s 15th president on July 1. His last day as
LSU president will be Dec. 15, according to a
University press release.
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“In all of his [Alexander’s] work, he has
demonstrated an unwavering dedication and
passion for 21st-century land-grant institutions,”
Oregon State Board of Trustees Chair Rani
Borkar said.
Thomas Galligan, dean of the University’s Paul
M. Hebert Law Center, will serve as interim
president while the LSU Board of Supervisors
conducts the search for Alexnader’s
replacement.
Alexander has served as LSU President since
2013, overseeing the launch of the University’s
“Fierce for the Future” campaign, back-toback record-breaking freshmen classes, the
construction of Nicholson Gateway and the
stabilization of Louisiana’s higher education
budget under Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Alexander’s tenure is not without controversy.
Alexander faced criticism for his handling of
Greek-life policy changes in the aftermath
of Max Gruver’s hazing death in 2017. He
further endured backlash from donors and the
Louisiana Board of Regents for the University’s
“holistic admissions” policy in 2018, which
critics claimed lowered standards for the
state’s flagship institution.
Before Baton Rouge, Alexander served as
president of California State University, Long
Beach and Murray State University in Kentucky.
Born in Kentucky, Alexander earned his Ph.D.
in higher education from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
Alexander succeeded his father, Kern, as
president of Murray State. Prior to Murray
State, Kern Alexander was president of
Western Kentucky University. Alexander’s
mother, Ruth, helped establish the women’s
athletic program at the University of Florida.